


Fade to Black

by amanda_please



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 62,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24539734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amanda_please/pseuds/amanda_please
Summary: This is the story about a girl named Narcissa.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Rodolphus Lestrange, Cygnus Black/Druella Rosier Black, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 11
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

Narcissa Black stood in her bedroom and serenely contemplated her reflection in her full-length mirror as she perched gracefully on one leg. Told from birth that she was the prettiest Black sister despite her wildly different looks, she was certainly not lacking in self-confidence. Where her sisters were dark with wild locks of ebony and chestnut, she was as fair as an ice queen with hair of spun gold.  


"Nearly perfect," she murmured to herself, brushing a hand gently through her straight tresses and admiring the way her blue dress brought out the cerulean sparkle of her eyes. Tapping a finger on her chin, she pulled out her beloved wand- elm with the single hair of a unicorn, 9 and 3/4 inches- and transfigured her hair into flowing waves that cascaded over her slender shoulders and down her back.  


"CISSY!" she heard a second later, and she stowed her wand back into her pocket before tripping down the stairs.  


"I'm here," she said breathlessly, nearly colliding with her sister Bellatrix. At nineteen, Bella was the eldest Black, and was like wildfire. Narcissa lived in constant half-fear of her sister, well aware that the tiniest thing could set her off.  


"Where's Andy?" asked Bella, drawing her wand out of her pocket. Her dress was made of black lace with a plunging neckline and came just below her knees, offering the world a tantalizing view of her well-shaped calves. Narcissa knew that mother would sorely object.  


"I don't know," said Narcissa, slipping past her sister and dropping gracefully into an armchair in her father's study. She looked around at the familiar books and bottles of goblin-made liquor, and sighed quietly to herself.  


"That girl is always off somewhere," Bella remarked, joining Narcissa in the study. She pulled a book on dark magic from a lower shelf, fingering its spine lovingly, and made eye contact with her youngest sister. "So, the Malfoys are coming today. Excited to see your love?"  


"Be quiet," Narcissa snapped, reaching into her pocket and wrapping her thumb and index finger around her wand. One never knew with Bella. "He is not my love."  


"Oh, please," snorted Bella, falling rather forcefully across the sofa. The book fell open to a random page across her stomach. "I've seen how you look at him."  


"I do not look at him!" Narcissa protested sharply, her mind running in frantic circles despite herself. Had she ever looked at him like that?  


"Sure, Cissy. I mean if it makes you feel better, he looks at you like that, too."  


"You have no idea what you're talking about, Bella," said Narcissa, but her stomach lurched excitedly. Did he look at her in that way? "Anyway, are you excited to see your fiancé?" At the word fiancé Bella gave a light grimace, and Narcissa smirked, knowing that she had won, if only for the moment.  


"God, don't remind me," growled Bella, trailing her nail across the page of the book.  


"You're marrying him in a month, you know," Narcissa said. "Bellatrix Lestrange- it has quite the ring to it, doesn't it?"  


"No," Bella hissed. "Rodolphus is barely worthy of me." As the oldest daughter of Cygnus Black, Bella had been promised to Rodolphus Lestrange, the oldest son of Adonis Lestrange, in an arrangement made many years before. Their large age difference didn't matter to the Black patriarch, and Bella's wedding was due to take place at the beginning of August. The Blacks were holding an engagement celebration for Rodolphus and Bella that very day.  


"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think," said Narcissa, but secretly she thought that it would be. Rodolphus did not have a good reputation, to say the least. Most recently, there had been allegations that he had joined the rising dark cult that was known for killing Muggle-borns.  


"Cissy! Bella!" a female voice drifted into the study, and before long Andromeda Black, the middle sister, had joined them.  


"Where were you, Andy?" drawled Bella from her lounging position.  


"In my room getting ready," Andromeda replied, slipping into an armchair by the fireplace. Her pale face was slightly flushed and her chocolate brown hair was mussed.  


"I don't think so," said Bella, snapping the book closed and sitting up.  


"Excuse me?" Andromeda said coolly, reaching her hand into her own pocket to finger her wand. Narcissa made quick eye contact with her, trying to send a wordless message.  


"I looked in your bedroom and you weren't there," Bella said in a low voice.  


"Oh, well I must have been in the bathroom then-"  


"I don't think you were in the bathroom either, sister."  


"Where do you think I was then? Since you seem to have such a firm idea."  


"I think," hissed Bella, getting up from the sofa and strolling over to her sister, "that you were outside in the garden with that boy." Her dark eyes flashed dangerously.  


"I was not! And I don't know who you are referring to-"  


"Save it, Andy. We both know that you've been seeing that Mudblood Hufflepuff since the beginning of last school year."  


"Do not say that word in front of me," hissed Andy, her pink cheeks flushing a deeper red. To her own credit, her brown eyes flashed just as perilously at Bella.  


"Mudblood," Bella whispered, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smirk.  
"I said, do not say that word," said Andromeda in a ferocious whisper as she stood up quickly, slipping her wand out from her pocket, and Bella held up her own wand.  


"MUDBLOOD," she nearly shouted, but before either Black sister could cast a spell, Narcissa hopped out of her armchair and flung herself between them.  


"Enough," she said vehemently, a thin arm reaching out to each sister.  


"Cissy darling, get out of the way before you are caught in the crossfire," said Bella, contemplating which hex to use on Andromeda.  


"Yes, Cissy, watch out," Andromeda replied, well aware that Bella would presumably resort to an Unforgivable Curse, and equally determined not to stoop to her level.  


"LADIES!" Mrs. Black's voice called a second later. Ebony eyes met amber ones and silent sparks flew, but Narcissa still refused to budge. "The Malfoys have arrived!" However, with that proclamation, she dropped her arms and moved quickly to the study door.  


"Cruc-" screamed Bella.  


"Expelli-" Andromeda cried at the same time.  


"GIRLS!" Mr. Black roared from the hallway just outside the study, cutting them both off before they could finish hexing each other.  


"Lucius!" said Narcissa as Lucius Malfoy drifted in behind her father.  


"Narcissa," Lucius greeted her lazily, a slow half-smile starting on his face.  


"Gods help us," groaned Mrs. Black, leading Abraxas Malfoy into the living room.

"Your sisters seemed quite distressed," Lucius drawled to Narcissa half an hour later. They stood in the back garden among the arriving guests, the majority of whom were related in some way to Narcissa.  


"Yes," she said, running a hand through her blonde locks, trying to look nonchalant. Every time she was around Lucius Malfoy, her heart thundered and her face radiated heat, which irked her to no end. Good Pureblood ladies, her mother told her constantly, never expressed emotions. He, on the other hand, always appeared to be at ease, no matter the situation. "I think they're all right now, though." They both watched Bella and Andromeda link arms and tread lightly down the garden path as though nothing had happened.  


"Is Bella excited for her wedding?" Lucius asked after a minute of silence.  


"Not really," she said honestly.  


"No?" he replied, arching his eyebrow. "Why ever not? Could it possibly have to do with the groom?"  


"Perhaps," said Narcissa, noticing not for the first time how Lucius' eyes were a dark gray, the color of waves crashing down on a stormy beach. He nodded in understanding. "Rodolphus doesn't have the best reputation," she added delicately.  


"He certainly does not. Although, I might add that your sister doesn't, either."  


"Very true," agreed Narcissa, thinking of Bella and her lightning moods and her fondness for violence.  


"I know what she was going to use on Andromeda," Lucius whispered as Pureblood wizards and witches grew ever closer to them in the garden. She glanced at him quickly. "Where did she learn the Cruciatus curse?"  


"My father," said Narcissa, choosing her words carefully, "has a different view than the Ministry on what should and should not be legal." He looked a little startled, and she decided not to add that the three Black girls had long since been Cygnus's practice targets for the Unforgivable Curses.  


"Oh," he said, "well then." Narcissa silently chided herself for over sharing.  


"Anyway," she cut in hastily, "I made Prefect." His gray eyes locked with her blue ones.  


"Congratulations! Maybe we'll be on night duty together," he replied. "I was also made Quidditch Captain." He smiled faintly, reminding her that Malfoy arrogance ran deep. However, so did Black self-assurance.  


"Well, it looks like someone is quite the overachiever," she said mockingly before she heard her mother's high-pitched voice behind her.  


"NARCISSA," Mrs. Black called, trotting briskly toward her daughter. "Hello, Lucius, how are you? Your father has just informed me that you were made Quidditch Captain! How impressive," she said brightly.  


"Thank you, Mrs. Black. Narcissa here was just telling me that she made Prefect," he replied, pushing his blonde hair back, which fell just below his chin in the most agreeable manner, or so Narcissa thought.  


"Yes, we're very proud of her. Neither Bellatrix or Andromeda had that honor," sighed Mrs. Black, spotting Andromeda now leaning against a tree with their first cousin Sirius, the only Black to have been sorted into Gryffindor in the past century. "Now, Narcissa darling, come with me. I need some help inside."  


"Fine," Narcissa said quietly, nodding goodbye to Lucius as she followed her mother.  


"See you later, Narcissa," said Lucius, suddenly grabbing her hand as she slipped past him. She stopped short and made eye contact with him. "I hope we get to do Prefect things together at school." And then he smiled at her; a real smile, not his usual amused smirk, and she felt her stomach shoot up into her throat.  


"Me too," she replied faintly, squeezing his hand before scurrying into the house. Before she could process the fact that Lucius Malfoy had just smiled at her and held her hand and said something nice to her, Sirius came running pell-mell into her and nearly knocked her over.  


"Sirius!" she cried, "Watch where you're going!"  


"Sorry, Cissy!" he replied cheekily, rumpling his dark waves and flashing his signature dimple. "I'm starving, do you know if the elves have put the food out yet?"  


"No, that's what I'm going to help Mother with now," Narcissa said, rolling her eyes. Boys, she thought, even though Sirius was only three years younger than her. She flounced into the kitchen to join her mother and aunt.  


"Narcissa, love, I saw you speaking to the Malfoy boy," cooed Narcissa's Aunt Walburga, Sirius's mother. "Do you know him well?"  


"A bit," Narcissa said. Oh Gods, she thought in horror, they're going to try to set something up. "He's the year above me at Hogwarts."  


"Yes, that's right. He's certainly an attractive young man," her aunt replied.  


"Attractively arrogant," Sirius said mischievously, strolling behind Narcissa into the kitchen and aiming a kick at one of the house elves.  


"Sirius!" his mother chided. Her eldest son would be the death of her, she was sure.  


"Be quiet, cousin," hissed Narcissa as she leaned against the kitchen counter. The house elves scurried around them bearing large plates of food, and Kreacher, the one that belonged to Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga, leered up at her.  


"Miss Narcissa," he said, and she shuddered. She despised house elves, especially Kreacher, who always seemed to have a hidden agenda.  


"So pretty that even the house elves admire you," teased Sirius, grabbing a pasty from a passing tray and stuffing it into his mouth.  


"Sirius!" his mother reprimanded him with a sharp slap on his wrist. He rolled his eyes and swaggered out of the kitchen. "He's simply impossible."  


"He's very young for his age," Narcissa's mother said, pursing her lips. None of the Blacks had ever held much fondness for Sirius, and now that he was in Gryffindor and chumming it up with blood traitors, their disapproval was turning to something deeper.  


"Truly," said Narcissa drily, brushing her fingers through her hair and thinking again of Lucius's hand squeezing hers. "Mother, what did you want me for?"  


"Oh," her mother replied, overseeing the placement of the food trays on the dining room table, which had been transfigured to twice its normal length. "It is always important that ladies never overstay their welcome. I thought this would give Lucius Malfoy a chance to miss you."  


"Really?" asked Narcissa in disbelief. Her mother was so archaic sometimes, honestly.  


"Darling," Mrs. Black said, straightening the lacy white tablecloth with a flick of her wand, "being a good Pureblood lady is very important. You must carry yourself proudly, show no emotions, always present yourself at your best, give but never take, and never overstay your welcome. I thought that you knew this."  


"So you've told me repeatedly, Mother," drawled Narcissa, rolling her eyes behind her mother's turned back. "Do you think that Bella follows these tenets?"  


"Of course Bella doesn't follow these tenets. Bella lets her feelings drive her actions, and her dress today is nothing short of obscene. That is why she is marrying that Rodolphus Lestrange. You, however, have promise. You are the most beautiful member of this family, you are never governed by your emotions, and you always present yourself perfectly. That is why it is so essential that we arrange a high-status marriage for you, my darling."  


"Arrange a marriage for me? I don't get to choose my own husband?"  


"Don't be silly, Narcissa. We chose Bella's for her as a child, and we will do the same for you and Andromeda."  


"Why didn't you do it for us when we were children, then? I don't see why you feel that you have to now."  


"We certainly have to for Andromeda. If the rumors are true and she is indeed mingling with Mudbloods, then we must interfere before it is too late."  


"Fine," said Narcissa, trying to suppress the image of her sister snogging that Hufflepuff behind a tree after exams last May, "but me? I thought that you would have confidence in my ability to choose a suitable mate. And I still don't understand why you wouldn't have arranged something when I was younger-"  


"Narcissa," her mother cut her off sharply. "I am telling you that it is very important that all three of you marry into proper, wealthy, Pureblood families, especially now."  


"Why especially now? You haven't answered my-"  


"Hush," hissed her mother, raising her hand slightly. Narcissa involuntarily flinched, but she merely straightened a serving platter. "We have fallen upon hard times. Currently, our biggest asset is the name of Black and we need to use it to our advantage when marrying the three of you off. Is that clear enough for you?"  


"Crystal," Narcissa said in a low voice before exiting the kitchen and striding into her father's study. "Colloportus," she added as an afterthought and sank into an armchair as the door closed and locked behind her.  
Her eyes darted around the familiar room, her place of refuge from the darkness that often surrounded her. She took in the many, many bottles of expensive alcohol, the mysterious artifacts that her father collected, and the extravagant family tree that had been hand-painted on the walls many years ago. Although Narcissa was the quietest member of the family, she was in some ways the most intelligent. She had known deep down for a long time that the Black family fortune was slowly slipping away, and her father, addicted to many things, was draining their resources on goblin-made liquor and expensive dark artifacts. Perhaps the only thing that they had left was their name and the recognition that it demanded in the Pureblood world.  


"Toujours Pur," she whispered, her eyes landing on the Black family crest that had been painted in the middle of the family tree with the French motto written in calligraphy underneath the image of the three birds, the hand and sword, and the skull. "Always pure." And with that, she let out a little noise somewhere in between a laugh and a sob.


	2. Chapter 2

The weeks following Bella's engagement celebration flew by in a blur of wedding preparations. Before Narcissa knew it, the seventh of August had arrived, and the three sisters were getting ready together in Bella's large bedroom.  


"Why did you pick this color?" complained Narcissa, holding the skirt of her silk bridesmaid's dress at arm's length and wrinkling her nose in distaste. The dresses were black, as black as their family name, as black as Bella's long, tangled hair, and as black as the passion for dark magic that was slowly growing in her heart. "It clashes with my hair!"  


"Oh, be quiet, Cissy," Bella scowled at her, zipping up her own dress. "It most certainly does not clash with your hair. Black goes with every coloring and that is why I chose it."  


"Well, it makes me look as though I were dead then, lying in an open coffin in a Victorian mansion somewhere-"  


"Please. You are always such a princess, and today isn't even about you, anyway-"  


"It's never about me, Bella. Let's be honest, everything in this family has always been about you or Andy, and I am just the afterthought-"  


"Oh, sister, you ensure that you are never the afterthought-"  


"QUIET," hissed Andromeda suddenly from her perch at Bella's window seat. Both of her sisters whipped their heads around to stare at her.  


"Glad to know you're still with us, Andy," Bella sneered, smoothing the lacy pleats of her dress out with agitated fingers.  


"You two are so irritating. Cissy, you know you look beautiful as always; you could wear a burlap sack and still be the belle of the ball," said Andromeda as Narcissa smirked conceitedly, "and Bella, you should be over the moon today! This is your big day." Bella grimaced and tried to pull her ebony locks up into a bun.  


"Aren't I just the luckiest bride in the whole world?" she said, dripping sarcasm, and turned away quickly from her sisters before they could catch a glimpse of the suspicious brightness that had appeared in her eyes.  


"Here," said Narcissa in a softer voice, "let me fix your hair." She advanced toward her eldest sister as one would a fire-breathing dragon that is momentarily flameless.  


"You look gorgeous, Bella," Andromeda soothed from the window seat, running her fingers over her wand.  


"Yes, you absolutely do," agreed Narcissa, murmuring some enchantments under her breath as she waved her wand around her sister's head. "Rodolphus should be so lucky to have you." With a small poof, a cloud of smoke parted to reveal Bella's hair, now done in a sleek bun encircled in a wreath of pearls, small tendrils curling at each side of her face.  


"Don't speak of Rodolphus," Bella said in a low voice, but she nodded at her reflection in the full-length mirror in a satisfied manner.  


"Your hair is perfect!" Andromeda and Narcissa exclaimed in unison.  


"Well, Cissy, even if you are subpar in Potions, your Charms skills seem to exceed expectations," said Bella, rewarding her sister with one of her rare smiles.  


"Ladies! The guests have begun arriving!" Mrs. Black's voice floated up the winding staircase a moment later.  


"Merlin, this is it!" Narcissa squeaked as though she were the one getting married. She dashed to the window seat to join Andromeda, and they both surveyed the back garden expectantly. The Blacks had one of the largest wizarding properties on the outskirts of London, and they were putting the land to good use today, cramming it to full capacity with hundreds of Pureblood wizards and witches.  


"There's Rabastan Lestrange," said Andromeda, "and the Notts and the Parkinsons."  


"Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion, and Sirius and Regulus fighting behind the oak tree," Narcissa added, her nose nearly pressed to the window.  


"Father yelling at the Rosier cousins. Gods, he looks like he's drunk already."  


"Oh, and Sirius's annoying friend Potter, who even invited him?"  


"Abraxas Malfoy talking to Madame Lestrange, who looks like her face is sliding off with all of that makeup."  


"The Crabbe family and-" here Narcissa broke off, feeling as though she had suddenly swallowed an ice cube whole.  


"And who? Oh, for Merlin's sake, Cissy, get a hold of yourself," Bella cut in, squashing herself in between her two sisters for a view of the garden. Below them, right in between the Crabbe family and Abraxas Malfoy and Madame Lestrange, stood Lucius Malfoy, adorned in black dress robes, running a hand oh so casually through his blonde hair. He almost appeared to be staring up at them from the way he squinted his gray eyes and raised his chin slightly.  


"Is he looking at us? He seems to be," said Andromeda, peering right back.  


"Can he see us from that angle?" Bella wondered.  


"Get down," hissed Narcissa suddenly, toppling to the floor in a black, silky heap, attempting to tug her sisters down with her.  


"Gods, Cissy!" Bella laughed hysterically as she and Andromeda ignored Narcissa's pulling hands, and waved through the window at Lucius.  


"Stop waving," said Narcissa in a high-pitched tone from her unladylike position on the wooden floor.  


"Hi, Lucius!" Andromeda screamed, knowing full well that the window was closed and that with the full glare of the sun, Lucius most likely couldn't even see them.  


"Oh, Lucius! Come rescue your princess; she's locked in an ivory tower!" cackled Bella.  


"HUSH!" Narcissa screeched in a panic, covering her head.  


"What on earth are you doing, Cissy? He can't even hear us."  


"Why are you covering your head, sister? You look like such a-"  


"LADIES," Mrs. Black's voice rushed into the room as she banged the door open and her eyes alighted on a most unusual scene. "What ARE you doing? I called you all ten minutes ago, and now you are nearly LATE! Narcissa, get OFF the floor, are you an animal? Bella, STOP laughing or your makeup will run all down your face! And Andromeda, why are you WAVING out the window like a commoner? Come DOWNSTAIRS before everyone LEAVES." And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed back down the staircase, leaving three grumbling females in her wake.  


"She always ruins everything," said Andromeda, hopping up from the window seat and smoothing her brown hair into submission. Narcissa stood up from the floor, casting a quick glamour spell over herself for good measure. Bellatrix remained sitting, one hand clutching at her throat and the other one lying limp in her lap.  


"Sisters, this is it," she said in a mere whisper, looking at them with wild eyes. "I'm getting married. Never again will I be Bellatrix Black."  


"Oh, Bella!" cried Andromeda and Narcissa in identical voices, and they threw their arms around their older sister before dragging her downstairs to meet her fate.

Some hours later after the ceremony, guests still milled around the Black family home and the sprawling back garden as Bella sat in the sitting room scowling at Rodolphus. He grinned right back at her, trying in vain to press her hand tightly, but she kept pulling it away.  


"Touch me without my consent and you die, Lestrange," she hissed through a grimace-turned-smile as her mother shot her head around a nearby corner to eavesdrop.  


"Darling," replied Rodolphus, apparently amused by his new bride's forceful nature, "hadn't you better call me by my first name? We are married now, after all, and the servants might get confused."  


"Just because we're bound by law does not, by any stretch, mean that we're bound by choice," she said in icy tones and stalked out of the room without another look. Her mother followed her hurriedly, casting an apologetic look in Rodolphus's direction.  


"Merlin, this is going to be a good marriage," Rodolphus said to a passing Lucius. He flicked his wand at his empty goblet, filling it right to the top, and raised it in silent cheers.  


"Yes," replied Lucius drily, "she's certainly a ray of sunshine. Have a marvelous time with her. Have you seen Narcissa by any chance?"  


"No?" Rodolphus looked confused for a second, and Lucius privately wondered if he even knew the names of his new sisters-in-law. "Oh, actually, yes, come to think of it." Rodolphus chugged half of the goblet of wine in one go and set it down on the table next to him with a clunk.  


"Well?" said Lucius expectantly.  


"What?" Rodolphus asked.  


"Where did you see Narcissa?" Lucius spoke very carefully and slowly as though he were speaking to his vaguely deaf and batty grandmother.  


"In the study, I think. You know, Cygnus's study that's off to the right over there, or the left. You can't miss it, it's got a good many books."  


"As studies usually do," smirked Lucius before he strolled off in the direction that Rodolphus had seemed to indicate with his now-empty goblet.  


"Well, hello there," he said a minute later as he opened a mahogany door and slipped inside a dark room.  


"Hello," replied Narcissa, her head snapping up in surprise. She was seated at her father's desk bent over an ancient book; her blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders.  


"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to," Lucius said, taking a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire and twirling his wand between his long fingers.  


"Oh really?" Narcissa breathed, her heart hammering at an alarming rate as though she was trying to escape a herd of approaching animals. "Why?"  


"I don't know," he replied, looking into her deep blue eyes as if pulled out to sea by the tide. "It's rather dull out there."  


"Meaning that I'm interesting?" she laughed lightly.  


"Perhaps," he whispered, one side of his mouth quirking upwards.  


"Hm," she replied.  


"Narcissa," he said, lifting himself from his chair and meandering over to the desk where she sat, one foot tucked demurely under her dress.  


"Lucius," she murmured, locking her eyes with his metallic ones and closing her book.  


"What are you reading?" he asked, reaching a finger down to trail along the faded cover.  


"It covers the early history of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."  


"Are you interested in that sort of thing?" Lucius's eyes suddenly glowed.  


"I'm interested in history, in general. History of Magic is my favorite subject even if Professor Binns doesn't do it justice," said Narcissa, watching his finger rest on the book. Her own small hand lay on the wooden desk next to it.  


"Hm," he replied thoughtfully, "you are very interesting, Narcissa."  


"Thank you," she murmured, unsure if this was a compliment.  


"I like history, as well," he said a split second later, his eyes meeting hers again.  


"Oh! Do you-" but before she could finish her thought, the study door banged open dramatically and in waltzed Bellatrix.  


"Cissy! We have been looking all over for you. Come out to the garden, Mother will have a FIT if she knows that you're in here alone with," Bella paused to sneer at Lucius, "Malfoy."  


"But, we're just-"  


"Now," said Bella ferociously, her eyes narrowing at Lucius as she dragged her sister out of the study by her arm.  


"Goodbye again, Narcissa," Lucius said softly to her retreating back. Before she reached the door, Narcissa wrenched herself free from Bella's strong grip and turned around.  


"Goodbye, Lucius. I'll see you at Hogwarts!" she replied as the corners of her lips flipped upwards and sparkles danced in her eyes. With a heavy sigh, Bella grabbed Narcissa's arm and hauled her out of the room, but not before Lucius sent a grin her way that stayed etched in her mind for the rest of the day, long after she had gone to bed and lay surrounded by darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

September 1st of that year dawned bright and early for Narcissa. She awoke with a jolt, emerging from a wild dream in which she was devastatingly late and had to follow the Hogwarts Express on a Shooting Star, only to realize that she was safe in her bedroom and that the sun had barely risen. Sighing with relief, she reassuringly fingered her wand, which lay in its usual spot on her bedside table, and rolled back over to tumble into dreamland once more.  


"Andy! Hurry, we're going to be late!" Narcissa screeched hours later as she stood in the front hall next to the glaring portrait of one of her great-great-uncles, her trunk resting against the dingy wallpaper.  


"Coming, coming!" called Andromeda from upstairs and soon enough she appeared at the top of the stairs. "Did you say goodbye to Mother and Father?"  


"I said goodbye to Mother before she went next door to spend the day with Aunt Walburga. Father is not here," Narcissa replied with a roll of her eyes.  


"Of course he's not," said Andromeda, sighing heavily as she tripped down the stairs, trunk rattling behind her. "Did he even come home last night?"  


"No," Narcissa said in a weak attempt at a bored drawl. It seemed to her that with each passing day, her father's reliance on alcohol increased as his presence at home decreased.  


"Oh well, let's go to King's Cross Station, and forget about our wonderful family," said Andromeda, squeezing her younger sister's elbow. Narcissa offered her a hesitant smile.  


"Yes, let's," she replied, moving to stand right next to Andromeda, one hand wrapped around her arm and the other loosely clutching the top of her trunk.  


"Time for side-along apparition! Ready?" said Andromeda brightly, and Narcissa nodded, silently praying to Merlin that she wouldn't get Splinched. Andromeda was very clever and gifted with spell-work, but she had been known to have some apparition incidents, specifically involving the stray tip of an index finger left behind in a bush. Narcissa closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, but before she knew it she heard a familiar train whistle, and they were standing on Platform 9 and 3/4 gazing at a beautiful scarlet express. The sisters locked identical cerulean eyes and beamed at each other, both feeling that they were going home.  


"Cissy! Narcissa!" a female's voice came wafting in their direction.  


"Cecelia!" Narcissa exclaimed, her eyes alighting on Cecelia Parkinson. Cecelia, her wavy dark locks flowing down her back, pranced toward Narcissa, only stopping once her arms were wrapped tightly around her best friend. "How was your summer?"  


"It was great; France was magnificent! I'm so sorry that we missed the wedding, though. I heard it was the event of the season!" Cecelia said in a rush, her dark eyes shining.  


"I need to hear all about France, don't leave anything out! The wedding certainly was...something," replied Narcissa as Andromeda snorted beside her.  


"Oh no! Details, please," Cecelia begged, gripping Narcissa's wrist. "Hi, Andy!" she added, winking at Andromeda.  


"Hi, Cecelia! We missed you too. Bella was in rare form, of course. Merlin help Rodolphus; what a match those two are," said Andromeda. She exchanged an eye roll with Narcissa, who privately wondered if Bella had taken to calling her husband by his first name yet, or if she was continuously screaming Lestrange at the top of her lungs as she strode around her new manor.  


"Oh, Bella. I can't believe that I missed the Pureblood wedding of the summer," Cecilia continued to chatter away as the three girls floated toward the Hogwarts Express. "We should find a compartment before they all get taken."  


"Well, actually," said Narcissa awkwardly, making fleeting eye contact with Andromeda, who smirked at the Prefect badge pinned to her sister's sweater. "Cecilia, do you remember when I wrote you this summer that-"  


"Oh, of course! I am so stupid, Cissy, I completely forgot. You're the new Slytherin Prefect! That's so exciting, you must be absolutely dying!" Cecilia said in one breath, her eyes widening with remembrance.  


"She is dying," said Andromeda slyly, "dying to see a certain sixth-year Prefect, that is."  


"Andromeda," Narcissa hissed in a low and deadly tone, but Cecilia was already smiling in a knowing sort of way at her friend.  


"Hmm, I wonder who that could possibly be? Does he happen to have hair the exact same color as yours?" said Cecilia teasingly. Narcissa swatted at her friend's arm and started to ascend the steps onto the train, turning her head back to glare at Cecilia and Andromeda.  


"I have no idea what you're talking about," she snapped as she whipped her long, blonde hair around haughtily and walked directly into a solid torso and pair of arms.  


"Well, hello there, Narcissa," an all-too familiar drawl said, and Narcissa found herself gazing into the stormy gray eyes of Lucius Malfoy.  


"Lucius," she whispered in a mortified voice as she realized that his arms were still outstretched toward her, his fingers brushing her wrists. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." Behind her, she heard gasps of laughter, and she vowed to murder Andromeda and Cecilia.  


"Oh, it's quite all right," he replied, smiling lazily at her, always so calm and collected while Narcissa could feel her skin radiating heat. "I was actually looking for you."  


"You were?" she said, throwing a sharp elbow out behind her to nail Cecilia in the chest.  


"Excuse me," called Cecilia, trying to move Narcissa away from her position at the top of the steps. "You are blocking everyone, Cissy!"  


"Yes, please move, sister. Some of us need to find a place to sit," Andromeda echoed, and the two girls slipped past Narcissa's slim figure, prodding fingers into her back.  


"Goodbye," hissed Narcissa, sending them one last glowering look before she turned back to Lucius, who was watching her with faint amusement.  


"Yes, I wanted to make sure that you knew where the Prefect compartment was," he said, reaching out a hand toward her.  


"Oh! Thank you," replied Narcissa, unwelcome butterflies bursting into flight in her stomach. "What are you-?" she added as she glanced down at his hand.  


"Your trunk," he said, the corners of his mouth quirking as he nodded his head at the forgotten trunk lying at her feet. "I can carry it for you; it must be heavy."  


"Right! Yes, my trunk. It is very heavy," she breathed, silently chiding herself for her sudden inability to formulate sentences. "It would be great if you could-"  


"Of course!" Lucius interrupted her incoherent flow of words and lifted the trunk up as easily as if it were filled with feathers. "Follow me," he added, sauntering down the train corridor toward the front compartments. Narcissa tripped along behind him, willing her face to return to its usual pallor, and stuck her tongue out at Cecilia as she passed the compartment where she was seated with their mutual friend group. Cecilia mimed giving an overly dramatic round of applause, and Narcissa fought the urge to use a rude gesture, instead forcing her face into the smooth countenance of a perfect Pureblood lady.  


"Thank you," she chirped as they entered the Prefect compartment and Lucius heaved her trunk up onto the overhead rack. He smiled at her, that real smile again instead of his usual smirk, and her heart slid up into her throat as he opened his mouth to say something.  


"Well if it isn't Cissy Black as I live and breathe," a male voice cut in suddenly, and Narcissa turned to see Evan Rosier standing up from a seat by the window.  


"Evan!" squealed Narcissa, throwing her arms around her first cousin as he responded accordingly. "Thank Merlin that we're both Prefects!"  


"I wouldn't have it any other way, cousin. Now, tell me, how is dear Bella doing in her new role as Madame Lestrange?" Evan asked, sinking back into his seat and pulling Narcissa into the one next to him. Before she could answer, Lucius cleared his throat. Narcissa looked up at him expectantly, and Evan grinned.  


"Malfoy, I hear congratulations are in order," he said cheekily.  


"For what?" sneered Lucius, running his fingers through his hair.  


"Are you not our new Quidditch Captain?" asked Evan, cocking his head.  


"Naturally, Rosier," Lucius said with an eye roll. "Who else could they possibly have made Captain? But, don't think that means you're a walk-on, now."  


"Oh, come on, Malfoy! I've been on the team since my third year, you can't be serious."  


"Listen Rosier, I intend to win the Cup this year-"  


"We've won the last three years in a row! You won't find any Beaters better than me, and you know that-"  


"It doesn't hurt to look, does it? You never know what you can find out there."  


"And here he is, the man of the HOUR!" Augustus Rookwood and Walden McNair boomed as they elbowed their way into the doorway of the Prefect compartment.  


"Hello, boys," smirked Lucius, now looking exceptionally pleased with himself. Narcissa, who had known Lucius since she was six, not to mention having gone through four years of school with him in the same house, was very well acquainted with his arrogance. She didn't exactly find it off-putting, being rather conceited herself about her Pureblood status and her beauty, but she certainly liked him better when it was just the two of them. He seemed different when he was alone with her, more genuine, as it were.  


"We expect nothing but victories for the team this year, Malfoy," Augustus said, bumping Lucius on the arm before swaggering into another compartment with Walden at his heels.  


"Of course," Lucius replied, "which means that I will be re-trying out everyone that is already on the team." Augustus and Walden, who had momentarily disappeared into the compartment across from theirs, stuck their heads back into the corridor in pure outrage.  


"Malfoy, what the bloody Hell? We've been on the team for four years; we are not trying out again," growled Walden as Augustus shook his head vehemently.  


"That's exactly what I said!" Evan called from his seat by the window, leaning over Narcissa to join in the conversation. She huffed, rolling her eyes at the boys and their stupid Quidditch obsession, and tried to flatten herself against the seat away from Evan so that he didn't wrinkle her clothes.  


"I am absolutely not trying out for Chaser again," Victor Zabini's voice rang out as he appeared in the hallway, dragging his trunk along behind him. "Malfoy, if you think that you are the dictator of this team, you are sorely mistaken." With that, four pairs of indignant eyes landed on Lucius, who was lounging against the luggage rack, looking highly entertained as he twirled his wand between his fingers.  


"Relax, boys. I was joking," he said, his metallic eyes flipping upwards as if imploring the gods to provide him with a more intelligent Quidditch team. "Now, Narcissa, should we handle the first Prefect shift and begin patrolling the corridor?" With a start, Narcissa, who had been trying in vain to shove Evan's heavy body away from her, realized both that Lucius was talking to her and that the train was now pulling away from King's Cross Station.  


"What? Oh, yes!" she said, giving Evan one last thrust and jumping to her feet as he finally withdrew to his window seat. "I mean, that is if everyone is finished discussing Quidditch," she added drily in an attempt at composure, letting out a dainty little sigh.  


"Oh, I think so," chuckled Lucius, grabbing hold of her wrist in a rather possessive manner and leading her into the corridor. Augustus, Walden, and Victor retreated into their compartment, and Evan welcomed the new Slytherin Prefect arrivals as they slipped in past Lucius and Narcissa.  


"You're so mean to them," Narcissa chided Lucius lightly as she trotted along beside him. He offered her one of his Cheshire cat grins, and she shook her head in disdainful amusement.  


"They ask for it," he returned as they passed a compartment filled with insignificant Hufflepuffs, and it was only then that she realized that he was still holding her wrist.  


"May I have my arm back?" she asked him sardonically, feeling a thrill coursing through her veins and half hoping that he would say no.  


"Hm?" he asked before glancing down and seeing his fingers latched securely around her slender wrist. "Oh," he added, but instead of letting go, his eyes found hers.  


"What are you-" she began before a girl with a long chestnut colored braid rushed by them and into the Hufflepuff compartment that they had just passed.  


"Wait a minute, isn't that-" Lucius started, and Narcissa nodded wordlessly as she watched her older sister slip into the seat next to that Hufflepuff boy. "Is she dating-" but he didn't even have to finish as the two of them stared with wide eyes at Andromeda as she pressed her mouth firmly against the Hufflepuff's cheek, who responded by wrapping an arm around her.  


"Merlin help us," Narcissa whispered to Lucius as she now gripped his wrist and dragged him away from the compartment door. "She's been with him since last year, I think. I saw them snogging by the lake after exams." She looked into his eyes again, trying to comprehend what he was thinking. If he'd been interested in her before, he most certainly wasn't now, she thought mournfully. No one liked to associate with blood traitor families.  


"Well," began Lucius, staring right back at her, "I won't tell anyone."  


"You won't?" she asked, shocked. The Malfoys and the Blacks were both part of The Sacred Twenty-Eight, and they only intermingled with Purebloods; this could cause the scandal of the year for the Black family.  


"It's not my secret to tell," he replied, glancing down at her fingers, which were now wrapped around his forearm, and his lips quirked upwards.  


"Well, no, I suppose not. That's very...kind of you," said Narcissa, for some reason unable to remove her hand from his arm. Lucius didn't say anything, and instead took her hand in his; she didn't object, keeping her gaze steady with his, even though her mouth was suddenly very dry. "It would obviously ruin us if someone found out; Sirius being sorted into Gryffindor was difficult enough. Poor Andromeda doesn't know what she's doing," she added in a whisper.  


"Yes, poor Andromeda," he said sarcastically. "But, I'm not doing it to be kind to her."  


"Oh?" breathed Narcissa, noticing as if from faraway that they were continuing to stroll down the corridor hand-in-hand.  


"As I said at your sister's wedding, I think that you're very interesting, Narcissa," Lucius said quietly to her, smiling his real smile, and her internal butterflies returned.  


"Thank you," she replied, praying to Merlin that her face wasn't flushed, but due to the ache in her chest, she wasn't very confident of that. Before she could say anything else, Sirius threw open the door of the compartment that they were walking past and collided with Narcissa.  


"Oh, Cissy!" he said loudly as she dropped Lucius's hand at lightning speed and whacked Sirius's arm in response. One day, she swore, she would murder him. "How is your Prefect duty going? Harassing everyone that isn't a Slytherin?"  


"Shut it, Sirius," she snapped at him.  


"Ten points from Gryffindor, Black," sneered Lucius.  


"You have to be joking, Malfoy! For what?" Sirius protested furiously.  


"For not being a Slytherin," said Lucius loftily, and tugged Narcissa down the corridor after him as he strode away. She turned around to laugh at Sirius' expression of rage, and waved goodbye to him in her cheekiest manner.  


"This is going to be an interesting year, I think," she said to Lucius, and her sparkling blue eyes found his dancing gray ones.  


"Very," he replied and took her hand in his once again.


	4. Chapter 4

The first month of school flew by fairly quickly for Narcissa as she scurried through the halls with a constant feeling of apprehension in her stomach, which she was trying her best to ignore. Of course, she was naturally anxious for her OWLs at the end of the year, but she had always been a diligent student and her study habits were strong. She was also nervous about balancing her classes with her prefect duties, but that too seemed like something that wouldn't be outlandishly difficult for her. Andromeda's so-called relationship with the Hufflepuff boy continued on, tugging at Narcissa's heartstrings, but she couldn't entirely attribute her unease to that either. No, she knew very well what the source of the tangled knot in her stomach was, and she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything else, as she was now spending two nights a week patrolling the castle with said source.  


"Cissy! Cissy Black!" Narcissa heard from somewhere behind her as she strode out of the Great Hall after dinner one night. She turned around, sighing faintly because she had a Potions essay to finish before her prefect shift at nine o'clock and it was already past seven. Flipping her hair behind one shoulder, she grimaced as she came face-to-face with Sirius.  


"What?" she snapped, preemptively annoyed with him.  


"Now cousin, that tone simply won't do. You must at least pretend to like me, at least for the sake of our Pureblood peers," he said in a mocking tone, that infuriating dimple popping.  


"Be quiet, Sirius. I don't have time for this; I have an essay to finish," replied Narcissa, moving away from him in the direction of the grand staircase.  


"Always the model student, aren't we?" he mocked, but he grabbed her wrist as she attempted to escape. "Wait, I need to talk to you."  


"Fine, about what?" she drawled, shifting her weight onto one leg.  


"I need to tell you something," he said in a cryptic tone. She raised her eyebrows at him, but he didn't elaborate.  


"Merlin, Sirius! What do you want? I told you, I have to go," she hissed, her eyes on the students now pouring out of the Great Hall. At this rate, she would never find a spot in the library, and she silently cursed her cousin for his slowness.  


"This," he replied, pulling a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and handing it to her. "It's a letter from my mother."  


"How does that concern me?" Narcissa asked, staring at the paper with a wrinkled nose.  


"It's about your mother; apparently she's ill."  


"What?" she tried to snap, but it came out sounding slightly panicked. "I haven't heard anything about her being ill." But then she thought about it and remembered that she'd had very few letters from her family since term had started.  


"Just read it," said Sirius in what could have been mistaken as a gentle tone. He turned on his heel and walked back into the Great Hall, leaving her alone with the letter.

Nearly two hours later, Narcissa fairly flew back to the Slytherin common room, each minute that ticked by echoing in her mind.  


"Narcissa," began Lucius as she sprinted past him and up the stairs into the girls' dormitory. She threw her bag onto her bed and faced herself in the mirror, running a trembling hand through her long blonde hair. Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, as she'd suspected, so she cast a quick glamour spell before tugging her brush through her locks until they were restored to their usual luster.  


"I'm here," Narcissa said breathlessly as she tripped back down the stairs to join him. He looked into her large blue eyes, frowning slightly for some reason, and then offered her his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.  


"Ready?" he asked, before whisking them out into the dungeons to begin their prefect patrol. Rather suspiciously, both of Narcissa's prefect shifts were scheduled for the same nights as Lucius's and she had been wondering if he had ensured this by providing Professor Slughorn with a lifetime supply of crystalized pineapple. Lucius had vehemently denied this bribery charge, but every time that she had Potions now, Slughorn seemed to have a fresh bag of pineapple on his desk. But then, this implied that Lucius was interested in her, and Narcissa still wasn't certain about that.  


"Where shall we start tonight?" Lucius said to her after several minutes of silence. Narcissa, whose thoughts were not even in the castle at present, had some difficulty coming down to earth and interpreting what he was saying.  


"What?" she asked, fingers sliding up and down her wand distractedly.  


"Are you all right?" Lucius said, stopping in the middle of the corridor. She halted abruptly next to him, and he put a hand on her arm to maneuver her to face him.  


"Yes, why?" she replied quietly, wondering if the glamour spell hadn't been as strong as she'd thought; perhaps her eyes betrayed her earlier tears.  


"You just seem a little absentminded," he said, those deep gray eyes catching with hers. She wondered if she should tell him about the letter; they had spent the past month chatting and opening up to each other during their prefect shifts, and she felt that they knew each other pretty well now. However, he still caused shooting stars to race through her veins every time he dug his eyes into hers or touched her arm. Nothing had happened beyond some innocent handholding, but Narcissa had been having some strange dreams lately that certainly involved more than that.  


"Sorry," she said, still mentally debating as her eyes flitted around the empty hallway.  


"Should we go somewhere more private?" Lucius asked, seeming to catch on to her inner struggle. Before she could answer, he tugged her by the wrist and pulled her into the empty Potions classroom. She backed herself up against Professor Slughorn's desk and he closed the door before perching himself on top of a table across from her, crossing his legs under him.  


"What's going on, Narcissa?" he asked her in a gentle voice with no hint of that Malfoy arrogance, and she decided in that instant to unburden herself to him.  


"It's just," she took a deep breath, "that Sirius received a letter from my aunt. She wrote that my mother is ill. I had no idea that she wasn't well."  


"I'm so sorry," Lucius murmured, watching her intently. "Is it very bad?"  


"It's not good," she replied, trying to swallow the lump that had risen in her throat; she thought of her mother and her ridiculous rules regarding Pureblood ladies. Showing any sort of emotion was frowned upon; crying in front of Lucius Malfoy would surely demote her from lady to commoner faster than she could say Toujours Pur. "I didn't know until tonight; no one from home had written me, but apparently they're not sure if-" here she broke off and stared hurriedly at the floor.  


"If what?" whispered Lucius, rising from his position on the tabletop.  


"My aunt said that they're not sure if she has much longer to live. I don't think that they know what is wrong exactly, but she's taken to her bed and she's very weak," replied Narcissa, certain that her eyes were now sparkling with unshed tears. Lucius bridged the gap between them, standing directly in front of her, and held his hand out.  


"I'm so sorry, Narcissa," he repeated quietly, and she climbed off the professor's desk and took his offered hand. "Please let me know if I can do anything to make you feel better."  


"Thank you, Lucius," she breathed, letting a single tear fall from her eye and slide down her cheek. He reached his other hand up to her face and caught the tear on his thumb, leaving it held softly against her cheek to circle it softly over her skin.  


"Of course," he replied, his eyes locked with hers, and then he leaned his face in closer to hers until his features blurred due to proximity and he pressed his lips against hers. Half stunned, she quickly tried to process what was happening, but felt all rational thoughts go out the window, and instead she kissed him back with fervor that she didn't know she had. He removed his hand from her cheek and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her against his broad chest, and plunged his right hand into her blonde tresses. She was half conscious of a tiny sigh of contentment escaping from her, her own hand resting on his chest, all thoughts of her mother momentarily escaping her. His lips were as soft as they had been in her recent dreams, and the weight of his arm around her waist made her feel safe. After several minutes of silently kissing each other, she fell back from him slightly, feeling that her lungs would surely explode if she didn't take a breath. As she did so, her blue eyes found his gray ones again, and she imagined herself caught in his storm as he sank deeper into her ocean.  


"I've wanted to do that for a long time," he breathed, his hand still around her waist. She felt a blush coming on and tried with all her might to fight it off. This is not happening, a voice inside her head said, and for a moment she wondered if she was asleep in her bed dreaming.  


"Oh?" she asked in a murmur, her hand still against his chest. She could feel his heart thudding, and realization dawned on her that he had felt the same way about her all along.  


"Yes," Lucius whispered, dragging his other hand from her long golden mane and placing it gently back against her cheek. She didn't know what to say, so instead of responding, she turned her face up to his, her eyes telling him all that she could not, and he recaptured her lips with his. She tangled one of her hands in his chin-length blonde hair, which felt as sleek as she had imagined, and closed her eyes, and he tugged her against him wordlessly, their bodies molding perfectly together like they had been made for each other.


	5. Chapter 5

After kissing Lucius for what felt like hours, Narcissa finally came to her senses and pulled back. She remembered that they were actually supposed to be patrolling the corridors and silently hoped that they hadn't been missed.

"Lucius," she murmured, tugging her wrist out of his grasp as he tried to kiss her again. "Shouldn't we check the castle for any students out of bed?" Thinking of Sirius and his mischievous group of friends, she made to move toward the classroom door while Lucius sighed heavily behind her.

"I think we're fine here," he replied, reaching a hand out for her waist. She quickly dodged him and opened the door with a quick _Alohomora_. "Narcissa, you're no fun," he pouted, but he followed her obediently into the dungeon corridor.

"I don't want to get into trouble," she informed him with a small twist of her mouth. He smirked back and took her hand as they strolled along next to each other. Narcissa's heart rate had subsided a bit, but she still felt butterflies dancing through her veins.

"Such a _perfect prefect_ ," Lucius whispered mockingly and she rolled her eyes.

"Jealous?" she replied and he smirked even wider. _Merlin_ , she thought as she made the mistake of gazing into his eyes once again, _I'll never get used to_ \- and then he dipped his head down to kiss her once again and she nearly fell flat on her face in surprise. "Lucius, stop! We're in _public_ ," she hissed, feigning annoyance.

"Merlin, Narcissa! Don't be such a _bore_ ," laughed Lucius, teasing her. As they ascended higher into the castle, they came across two dark shapes nestled together in a corner behind a suit of armor. With a jolt, she realized that it was Andromeda and the Hufflepuff boy.

"Oh no," she whispered to Lucius, her hand wrapping around his forearm in warning.

"Is that-?" he murmured into her ear and she nodded. They exchanged a quick look, but at that very moment Andromeda happened to glance up from her lounging stance against the wall.

"Cissy?" she said in a strangled voice. The Hufflepuff boy unwrapped himself from around Andromeda and turned to face Narcissa and Lucius, who were staring wordlessly back. "Narcissa, why are you wandering the castle so late?"

"We're doing our prefect shift," replied Lucius, as Narcissa couldn't seem to string a sentence together. She felt as though her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. "I might ask why you and," here he nodded at the Hufflepuff boy with a sneer, "are wandering the castle at this time?"

"His name is Ted," hissed Andromeda, reaching for the boy's hand, "Ted Tonks."

"I'm on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team; I'm one of the Beaters. You're the Slytherin captain this year, no?" Ted said in a brave attempt at friendliness.

"I am," replied Lucius evenly, his eyes narrowing, and he shot Narcissa a side-glance, who was still staring wide-eyed at her sister. "Narcissa?" he added to her in a whisper. Her fingers had gone slack around his arm and a strange buzzing filled her head; it wasn't that she hadn't known about Andromeda and Ted or that she hadn't seen them together from afar, it was merely that she had never been forced into an interaction with them. This made it _real_ for her, and she couldn't help but think of the burnt names scattered throughout the Black family tree, of the blood traitors that had been disowned and never spoken of again, of Bella shrieking _Mudblood_ as she fingered her wand murderously.

"Yes?" Narcissa finally replied after at least ten seconds of silence. "Oh, yes, sorry. Andy, I don't know _what_ you think you're doing in the _middle_ of the corridor _snogging_ someone when you're supposed to be in bed, but we really should take ten points from Slytherin for this!"

"Cissy!" Andromeda hissed angrily, knowing full well that her sister couldn't care less if she was kissing someone in the castle at ten o'clock at night; no, Narcissa cared about _who_ she had been kissing. "Don't be a brat!"

"Excuse _me_?" replied Narcissa, drawing herself up haughtily. "I am a prefect, how dare you speak to me like that?" Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lucius looking at her with a mix of amusement and admiration.

"You are my _baby_ sister, how dare you _threaten_ to take house points away from me? I should ask what you and Malfoy were doing before you found us!" Andromeda retorted, going on only a hunch, but Narcissa's look of outrage confirmed that she had guessed correctly.

"I don't know _what_ you're talking about," snapped Narcissa, hand going to her wand as she took a step toward Andromeda. Lucius grabbed her slim wrist and tugged her back to his side. She sent him a disgruntled glare in return.

"Narcissa, wait a minute. Let's not do anything _rash_ ; Slytherin wants to win the House Cup this year, after all," he cajoled her.

"All right, well, I'm going to bed," Ted broke in awkwardly from where he stood off to the side, and three heads turned in his direction in surprise, as though they had forgotten his presence. He touched Andromeda gently on her shoulder in farewell and sped away down the corridor out of sight.

"Clearly you don't even care that Mother is ill," Narcissa spat as the three Slytherins started off in the direction of the dungeons, her fingers still wrapped around her wand.

" _What_?" snapped Andromeda, her own wand in hand.

"I know Sirius _must_ have told you, the way you two are so _chummy_ all the time," Narcissa hissed, locking her cerulean eyes with Andromeda's dark ones.

"No, he didn't say anything to me! What are you talking-" before she could finish her question, Narcissa drew the crumpled piece of parchment out of her skirt pocket and shoved it at her sister, who slowed to a halt to read it.

"Well," began Lucius, feeling that he needed to extricate himself from the unfolding family scene, "I'm going to bed, then."

"Oh, yes, of course," Narcissa replied, turning to look at him with her wide blue eyes. "Goodbye, Lucius. I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled genuinely at her, touched her on the arm, and walked away, setting her heart aflutter for what must have been the tenth time that night.

"Merlin, Cissy," whispered Andromeda a few minutes later after she had scanned the letter. "This doesn't sound promising."

"I know," replied Narcissa, some of her anger ebbing away. She sank to the floor and sat cross-legged with her back against the cold stone wall, and Andromeda joined her.

"I had no idea," she said, glancing down at the parchment. "No one has written us anything since term started."

"I know," replied Narcissa again because she couldn't think of anything else to say. Too much had happened in the span of only three hours, and she needed to go off to a quiet place of solitude to process it all.

"Do you think," Andromeda began, and then stopped. "Do you think we should write to Father? Or Bella?"

"Not Father," said Narcissa, feeling a lump creep into her throat again. "I'll send an owl to Bella tomorrow morning." She desperately wanted to be in her four-poster bed now.

"All right," Andromeda replied, reaching for her younger sister's hand. "Cissy?"

"Hm?" Narcissa turned to look at her.

"Please don't say anything about...well, you know," said Andromeda awkwardly, "to Bella. She won't take it well." Narcissa sucked in a deep breath, all sorts of warnings exploding in her brain.

"Fine," she whispered unhappily, fingers tightening around Andromeda's hand. "But please be more careful, Andy."

"I shouldn't have to be careful, Cissy. It's so unfair."

"I know," said Narcissa, her eyes boring fiercely into Andromeda's, "but as long as you're a member of _this_ family in _this_ world, you do. Don't tell Bella, but you're my favorite sister and I don't want you blasted off the wall." She gave Andromeda a little squeeze and started to rise to her feet, not noticing as Andromeda sent a sad, almost pitying smile her way.

"Let's go to bed, Cissy," she replied as they resumed strolling down the corridor, "and tomorrow morning you can tell me _all_ about how you were most _definitely_ snogging Lucius Malfoy before you stumbled upon me!" And with that, she dropped Narcissa's hand and sprinted into the Slytherin common room as Narcissa made to yank her braid as hard as she could.

Over the next few weeks, Narcissa was kept very busy between classwork, prefect duties, and the beginning of her relationship with Lucius.

"I knew it," Cecilia Parkinson had said gloatingly one morning in the Great Hall; she was only the second person that Narcissa had told and she was already regretting it. "You have been in _love_ with him since we were six years old!"

"Be quiet, Cecilia," replied Narcissa, rolling her eyes up to the heavens as she nibbled daintily on a piece of toast. "I'm not in _love_ with-"

"In love with who, Narcissa?" Andromeda asked with a teasing grin as she dropped into the seat next to her sister. "Please elaborate." She reached across the table and took several pieces of bacon for herself.

"You already _know_ ," whispered Narcissa, realizing with alarm that a certain person was approaching the table with half of the Quidditch team in tow. He handed each Slytherin boy a piece of parchment covered with what looked like a hand-drawn map of the Quidditch pitch.

"Malfoy, you can't be _serious_! What is this?" Evan Rosier protested before he squeezed in next to Cecilia across from Narcissa and Andromeda.

"Rosier, I've told you a _million_ times! If you want us to win, you need to put more effort in. Study the guide that I've made you; it will show you _exactly_ where you should be at all times," drawled Lucius, repeating his speech to two of the Chasers as they joined the Slytherin table; it appeared that he had made a guide for each player.

"Merlin," Andromeda murmured into Narcissa's ear, suppressing her laughter. "He's certainly passionate about winning."

"Malfoys are always the best at everything," smirked Lucius, who had of course overheard her. He handed the last Quidditch guide to a sleepy-looking Walden Macnair, who had just arrived, and slipped into the empty seat on Narcissa's left side. She rolled her eyes at him in jest and he grinned back at her. "And they always get _everything_ they want," he whispered to her, brushing his lips inconspicuously against her ear. She shivered from the sudden contact and was about to reply in a suiting manner before she caught Cecilia smiling hugely at her.

"What, Cecilia?" she hissed instead, aiming a kick under the table.

"Ouch! Why are you abusing me, dear cousin?" Evan exclaimed, dropping his piece of buttered toast. Narcissa widened her eyes innocently in his direction, and then she felt Lucius place his right hand on her knee. She nearly choked as he began to circle his thumb delicately on her sensitive skin, but he gave no indication of any under-the-table caressing as he piled food high onto his plate.

"Cissy! Are you there? Can you hear us?" Cecilia's voice cut into Narcissa's rattled train-of-thought a minute later as she was inching her own hand toward Lucius's and simultaneously trying to keep her eyes from glazing over; evidently, she had failed at appearing engaged.

"What?" she said dazedly, pulling her hand back from his as if she'd been burned.

"Honestly, Cissy, you have been _very_ distracted lately," replied Cecilia teasingly, nearly leaning over the table toward her friend. Narcissa wrenched her knee away from Lucius and rose quickly from the table.

"Narcissa," said Lucius in an injured tone, "where are you going?" Andromeda also reclined her head backward to look at her sister in concern. Cecilia and Evan tilted their heads questioningly. Narcissa had had more than enough of everyone.

"I'm going to the Owlery. I have to send a letter," Narcissa said shortly before striding out of the Great Hall, her leather bag bouncing jauntily against her hip.

"Is it another letter to Bella?" Andromeda's voice came out of nowhere, and Narcissa realized that her sister had followed her.

"Yes," she said, tugging it out of her bag. "She still hasn't answered the first one, and I don't want to write to Father." _Merlin knows if he spends any time sober anymore_ , she thought to herself bitterly. Their usual monthly allowances had been shockingly low this term.

"We could always write to Aunt Walburga or Uncle Orion, but I doubt that we want their interference," said Andromeda as they walked side-by-side.

"I don't think that we do; regardless, the Christmas holidays are soon enough, so we'll see for ourselves how Mother is then," Narcissa whispered.

"I wonder why Bella hasn't written back," said Andromeda thoughtfully.

"She's probably involved in that," Narcissa threw a hurried look around the corridor as they ascended the empty staircase before continuing in a low voice, "that dark cult that Rodolphus is in. We already know how she feels about using the Unforgivables."

"If she's gone that far, then I'm finished if she ever discovers me and Ted together," muttered Andromeda.

"Oh, Andy, why are you still dating him?" Narcissa groaned as they switched staircases and hastily jumped over the third step. Andromeda glared at her sister.

"Cissy, I love him! Imagine if someone told you that you couldn't be with Lucius."

"Lucius and I are not officially dating! We've snogged a few times and we've held hands, but I'm certainly not in _love_ with him."

(But Narcissa thought back to last Thursday evening when they were pressed against the wall of a broom closet and Lucius was running his fingers through her hair while plundering her mouth in soft, stolen kisses.

"Cissa," he'd murmured, dropping the first syllable of her name and causing her stomach to plummet several floors. "You're so beautiful." She'd smiled against his lips, her own small hand tangling itself in his blonde hair.

"Thank you," she'd replied in a whisper. "Lucius, I _really_ like you." _Like_ , she'd said.

"I like you _so_ much, Cissa," he'd said huskily. "I've liked you ever since you played with me at that garden party at the Manor when we were little." _Like_ , he'd said too, but they both meant something else.

"You remember that? I can't believe it," she'd said, shocked. That had been the day that she'd convinced herself she'd found her prince, just like in those Muggle fairytales that Andromeda whispered to her at night when they cuddled together under the quilt.

"Of course. I was having the most miserable time and then this little girl with the biggest green bow came _bouncing_ over to me. She started talking a mile a minute about her huge family and how they all lived together in two townhouses side-by-side and how she never got any privacy and her biggest sister was always being mean to her," he'd grinned.

"And then you said that you were jealous because you lived with only your father in that massive manor house, and he wasn't even there most of the time," she'd added.

"And you said that you were sorry for me because that sounded awful and lonely, so did I want to come play with you?" he'd finished quietly.

"I can't believe you remember that," she'd whispered again and instead of replying, he'd leaned forward in the broom closet, cupped her pale face in his hands and had kissed her so passionately that she felt as if her entire body was composed of shooting stars.)

"CISSY," Andromeda's voice cut through Narcissa's flashback like a knife.

"Hm?" she asked dreamily, touching a finger to her lips before realizing that she'd forgotten to jump over another trick stair and was now stuck as if in quicksand.

"Merlin! Where on earth were you?" demanded Andromeda as she wrenched her sister up from the stairs and they jogged the rest of the way to the Owlery.

"I was just thinking," Narcissa replied vaguely.

"About what I said? I'm not going to stop seeing Ted," said Andromeda fiercely. "I should think that you're the only member of the family that would understand."

"But I don't understand, Andy, not really. Why couldn't you have just fallen in love with a Pureblood and made everything easier?" snapped Narcissa, trotting briskly over to a large, tawny owl that clicked hello to her.

"Cissy, please _try_ to understand. I know that you and Lucius love each other; I've seen the looks on your faces when you think you're alone," Andromeda said softly, stroking the top of the owl's head. "Hello, Morgana." The Black family owl hooted a friendly reply.

"Regardless of how Lucius and I feel toward each other," replied Narcissa as she tied the letter to Morgana's leg, "this is a dangerous situation for you. That's why I've told you _repeatedly_ to be careful. I don't want you to be disowned." Morgana flew out one of the large, drafty windows and Narcissa turned to look her sister in the eye.

"Cissy," Andromeda whispered, moving closer and touching her cheek softly, "it's going to happen. Ted and I are going to run away together after we finish school."

"Andy!" hissed Narcissa, scandalized, "don't tell me that! What do you expect me to say to you?"

"That you'll always love me, regardless of who I marry. That you'll try to understand how I feel and why I'm going to do this. That you'll still call me your sister after I leave."

"Andy, that's not fair," Narcissa murmured, praying to the gods that her eyes weren't sparkling with tears, yet knowing that they probably were. "You know I can't-"

"You mean you _won't_ -"

"You can't leave me!" yelped Narcissa suddenly. "I love you more than anyone in our family, you can't just run away with him." She turned away to face the window, wrapping her arms around herself and watching as Morgana grew smaller in the distance.

"Cissy," Andromeda began, "Cissy, look at me!" Narcissa reluctantly glanced back at her. "I love you too, but you _have_ to understand-"

"I don't have to understand anything. You're putting me in a horrible position, but that doesn't even matter to you. All you care about is your precious _Mudblood_. Well, I hope that the two of you are very happy together," snapped Narcissa, and with that she turned on her heel and marched out of the Owlery without looking back.


	6. Chapter 6

Narcissa didn't speak to Andromeda for the remainder of November and December. Before she knew it, the holidays were upon them and giant Christmas trees stood in the Great Hall, fairy lights lined the staircases, and mistletoe was hung all over the castle.

"Convenient, isn't it?" smirked Lucius as he kissed Narcissa breathless under a small sprig in a remote corner of the dungeons. They were on prefect duty, and, as usual, were putting their time to good use.

"Yes," she smiled back against his lips, her breath hitching as he moved to suck the spot beneath her right ear. She arched her body into his chest and let out a quiet gasp.

"Cissa," he murmured and her knees went weak.

"Lucius," she replied and then he covered her mouth with his again. Their tongues dueled against each other in a dance that was becoming more and more familiar. Narcissa found herself craving this when they weren't together, remembering his taste and the feeling of his body flush against hers. They had been at this for two months now, and although the word _love_ still hadn't been mentioned, their relationship _had_ been discussed. In classic Lucius Malfoy fashion, he had simply informed her that she was his.

("Excuse me?" she had arched an eyebrow; Malfoys _always_ got what they wanted.

"You're mine, Cissa," he had said again in a low voice as he pushed a stray tendril of hair off her face.

"I'm not an _object_ ," she had retorted. Her shyness and inability to form coherent thoughts around Lucius was slowly disintegrating, and he was now accustomed to her dry wit.

"I know you're not," he had said, trying to kiss her. "But you're still _mine_."

"If I'm yours," she had replied, pulling away from him slightly, "then you're mine."

"All right then," he'd agreed, nodding slowly. "You're mine and I'm yours." And then he had tugged her hard against him and kissed her fiercely. She had responded with the same sort of urgency, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she smiled victoriously against his lips. _He was hers._ )

"Cissa," whispered Lucius again as they stood below the mistletoe the day before the holidays started.

"Yes?" Narcissa replied, her fingers playing in his ponytail, which was becoming more disheveled by the minute.

"Stop that," he said in mock annoyance, batting at her hands.

"I'm terribly sorry," she teased, "I _know_ how you are about your hair." Her lips curved up in a sly smile and he narrowed his gray eyes at her.

"I was _going_ to ask you to visit the Manor over the holidays, but if you're going to be _cruel_ , then consider the invitation rescinded," he said in a snappish manner.

"Oh, Lucius!" cried Narcissa, all dignity forgotten. "Don't be silly, I was just _teasing_. I would love to come to the Manor!" _Thank Merlin_ , she thought, _now there would be a bright spot to the holidays_. For Bella had finally replied to her second letter and had confirmed that their mother was indeed very ill. To Bella's suspicious mind, so enamored with darkness, it seemed like a case of slow poisoning. Narcissa hadn't shown her reply to Andromeda, who was turning her nose up and starting off in the opposite direction whenever they encountered each other now, and had mulled it over on her own instead. Bella seemed to think that their father had a hand in this, but Narcissa wasn't sure. Cygnus Black, once possibly an impressive man, was currently not even coherent for the majority of the time. He had invested their vanishing fortune in goblin-made liquor and various dark objects and was often to be found in a drunken stupor in his study for hours at a time, sometimes even days. Narcissa couldn't believe that he had enough wits about him to methodically poison his wife, and besides, what did he have to gain from it? She decided that she would just have to investigate for herself upon going home for the holidays, which did not promise to be an enjoyable task.

"I know, Cissa," Lucius replied, smiling at her joyous response in spite of himself. "I'm teasing, too. Would you like to come to the Manor after Christmas?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she nearly squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They resumed snogging for quite a while until it dawned on them that their prefect shift had ended a long time before and it was nearly midnight.

"Wouldn't want old Sluggy to catch us, would we?" drawled Lucius as they ambled back toward the Slytherin common room, hand-in-hand.

"I'm sure that you could just bribe him with some crystallized pineapple," Narcissa said, smirking knowingly at him.

"I have _no_ idea what you're referring to," he shot back, the corners of his mouth quirking.

"No?" she bantered.

"Don't think you're too clever now, Cissa," he said teasingly as he tugged her by the hand into the common room.

"Oh, don't worry, Lucius. I don't think I'm clever, I _know_ that I am," she replied, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw before tripping up the stairs to her dormitory. She stopped at the top briefly, just in time to catch an amused eye roll from Lucius before darting into her dormitory, sinking into her luxurious four-poster bed, and dreaming of Malfoy Manor.

* * *

The next day Narcissa and Andromeda stepped off the Hogwarts Express and, to their surprise, came face-to-face with Bellatrix, who was wrapped in a black fur cloak.

"Dear sisters!" Bella cried in dramatic tones, pulling the two against her in a hug. As always, her hugs had a wild edge to them, as if she might suddenly turn and break their necks.

"Bella, how unexpected. I thought that we'd apparate home," said Andromeda, angling her body toward Bella and away from Narcissa, whom she was still ignoring.

"Yes, how ever did you manage to escape Lestrange Manor?" asked Narcissa as they trotted along the platform, lugging their suitcases behind them. She breathed in the icy winter air.

"Don't start," Bella said warningly. "I am a free woman; I can come and go as I wish." Her dark eyes flashed fire, and Narcissa wondered how the marriage was going.

"I'm sure," said Andromeda drily, still refusing to make eye contact with Narcissa.

"Anyway, Cissy darling, I've heard some rumors about you," Bella said.

"What rumors?" asked Narcissa warily.

"I've heard tell that you and your darling Malfoy have _finally_ acknowledged your love for one another."

"Andy! Did you tell her?" Narcissa hissed, and Andromeda was forced to look at her little sister at last.

"No! She must have heard it from Evan."

" _Evan_."

"Evan."

"Of course. What a snitch; it is no business of-"

"Never mind, Cissy, do tell! I can't believe that you allowed _Malfoy_ to win you over."

"Hush, Bella! There's nothing to tell, we're just-"

"Snogging _everywhere_ ," snickered Andromeda.

"Excuse me, Andy? I don't think that you're in _any_ position to-"

"Merlin, Cissy, I'm just joking! Don't be so-"

"Wait a minute. What does Cissy mean?" Bella asked Andromeda.

"Nothing! She means nothing," said Andromeda hurriedly. She sent a pleading glance at Narcissa, who hesitated. Bella had heard the rumors of Andromeda and the Hufflepuff boy last year, but nothing had been verified for her. Narcissa now stood in a powerful position, but she didn't know if she was angry enough with Andromeda to unleash the ire that would surely erupt from Bella as soon as she knew the truth.

"Cissy?" Bella prompted her youngest sister.

"Well," stalled Narcissa, twirling a golden lock around her finger.

"Cissy!" repeated Bella.

"Cissy!" Andromeda begged. Her brown eyes bore into Narcissa's blue ones, and she felt her resolve break. As cross as she was with Andromeda, the two of them had always been united: sometimes with Bellatrix when she was being charming, but typically against her when she decided to terrorize them.

"I didn't mean anything," said Narcissa hastily. "I just meant that Andy always seems to be spying on Lucius and me." But, she saw Bella's eyes narrow and knew that she would be interrogated later.

"All right, well, let us apparate home to our dear mother," Bella said in falsely sweet tones, offering Narcissa her arm for side-along. And within minutes, they had left King's Cross Station behind.

"How is Mother?" whispered Andromeda to Bella as they reappeared in the gloomy front hall of Number Ten, Grimmauld Place.

"Didn't Cissy tell you?" Bella replied, removing her cloak to reveal a lacy black dress.

"Oh, she-"

"Yes, remember, Andy?" Narcissa jumped in quickly; if Bella caught wind that they hadn't been speaking, she would know that something was amiss _and_ if she discovered that Andromeda was dating Ted Tonks, Andy would surely be murdered in her bed. "I told you how Bella said that Mother was very ill and she thought that Father had slowly been poisoning her." She shot a covert glance at Andromeda, who nodded immediately. 

"Yes, of course! How silly of me, I've just been so distracted with NEWTs and all," she recovered quickly. However, Bella looked at both of them suspiciously before leading the way up the narrow, winding staircase.

"Misses Andromeda and Narcissa! May we be getting you young Mistresses anything?" one of the house elves, Pippa, squeaked from the kitchen doorway as the three Black sisters mounted the stairs.

"No, Pippa," said Narcissa haughtily before following Bella.

"No, _thank you_ , Pippa," Andromeda replied in a kindly tone. Narcissa fought the urge to roll her eyes; now Andromeda was snogging Muggle-borns _and_ being friendly with the servants.

"Mother!" called Bellatrix in a high-pitched whisper as they entered her bedroom.

"Are your sisters here?" came a weak voice from the large four-poster bed in a dark corner of the room. Narcissa sucked in a deep breath as she saw her mother's wasted face that looked deathly pale in the flickering candlelight.

"Oh, Mother," Andromeda breathed, evidently sharing the same painful thoughts with Narcissa. She felt a pull on her heartstrings and swallowed back a small, strangled noise; although her relationship with her mother had not always been filled with love and adoration, per say, she was still her mother, after all.

"My darling daughters," murmured Druella Black, beckoning them closer.

"Mother, are you all right?" Andromeda asked. "What has happened to you?" Narcissa stared at her mother with wide cerulean eyes, unable to speak.

"No, dearest. I am dying," said their mother bluntly.

"Mother," broke in Bellatrix from her lounging position against the doorway, "do you think that he's been poisoning you?"

"Bella!" Andromeda said sharply.

"No, it is simply my time to depart from this life. I am being called," whispered Druella.

"So, you're just choosing to leave us then?" Bella asked, now twirling her wand between her fingers. Narcissa felt as though she had a chocolate frog stuck in her throat.

"Bella!" Andromeda said again.

"That's enough, Bellatrix. It's time for you three to leave me," said their mother suddenly, closing her eyes and reclining against the pillows.

"Goodnight, Mother. Sleep well," whispered Andromeda, pressing her lips to her mother's forehead. Bellatrix waved farewell from the doorway. Narcissa stood frozen in the middle of the bedroom, halfway between her mother and the door, simply staring straight ahead.

"Come on, Cissy," Bella said, wrenching Narcissa into the hallway by her wrist.

"I don't understand," said Andromeda as soon as the three sisters were safely in Bella's room with the door closed and the Muffliato spell cast.

"That's why I think he's poisoning her," Bella replied, whispering Lumos to light up the winter-darkened bedroom. "What else could it be; she's just given up?"

"Well, she is trapped here alone with _him_ ," Andromeda said, sitting on the window seat and leaning her dark head back against the icy windowpane. "Think what her life must be like now that you're gone, Bella."

"I know how he treats her, and that I was a diversion for him, but still! She can't just _decide_ to become deathly ill."

"I don't know; Mother has always been dramatic."

"Yes, that is true, but I don't know, I think he's poisoning her. I read about all these poisons in this new book on the dark arts that I found."

"Oh, Bella, not _everything_ is about dark magic!"

"It is when you're a member of the Black family! Father first used Cruciatus on me before I could properly _read_."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that that dark magic is _always_ involved!"

"Cissy," said Bella abruptly, and both pairs of dark eyes landed on Narcissa, who was sitting quietly on the floor, her body hunched over as if in pain. "What's the matter, darling?" And suddenly, Narcissa was their baby sister again and they were sitting on either side of her, stroking back her blonde locks and whispering soothing sounds.

"Mother," she whispered finally, "will she be all right?" Bellatrix and Andromeda exchanged a look before answering her.

"I don't know, darling," replied Andromeda, kissing Narcissa's forehead.

"But what will we do without a-" she broke off, unable to say the words. Her mind was racing ahead; Bella was already living her own life, however unpleasant, at Lestrange Manor, Andromeda was going to run off with Ted after the school year was over, and now her mother was going to leave her, as well. What would she do alone at home with her father?

"You'll be fine, Cissy," murmured Bella in an unusually gentle voice. "We'll always take care of you." Andromeda nodded silently, but Narcissa's churning stomach told her otherwise.

"They're all going to leave me," she whispered aloud to her empty bedroom hours later before she fell asleep. "They're all going to leave me, and I'll be alone." But then she thought of someone kissing her until her mind was numb and her body ached for him, telling her that he was his, and whispering that he had liked her ever since a childhood garden party, and she wondered if he could be her light in the blackness of her life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, let me know if you're enjoying reading this! It's my first fanfic- I'm having a ton of fun writing it! :)

The holiday passed maddeningly slowly for Narcissa. Several days after her arrival home, Lucius sent a letter requesting her presence at the Manor for the week following Christmas; they would return to school together on the Hogwarts Express.

"Who is this, now?" Narcissa's father croaked from his study desk upon hearing that his youngest would be leaving a week early. It was barely noon and he was already slurring his words; Narcissa stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame.

"Lucius Malfoy, Father. You know Abraxas relatively well, and we've had Lucius to our house several times," she replied, eyeing the half-empty bottle of Firewhisky with distaste.

"Now, Andromeda dearest, don't get too friendly with this scoundrel," said Cygnus Black, his bloodshot eyes struggling to focus on his daughter.

"I'm _Narcissa_ ," she hissed, barely refraining from rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe that this drunken fool who called himself their father was draining their resources. He was the one responsible for her impending state of poverty.

"Yes, yes, of course you are, flower. Now be a good girl and send for your mother," he replied, starting to lay his head down upon his arms again.

"Father, I can't send for Mother. She's very ill; she hasn't been out of bed this entire week." _Maybe she's poisoning herself because she doesn't want to put up with Father anymore_ , Narcissa thought as she watched her father try to process her words that were floating slowly in his inebriated mind. _Honestly_ , _I might do the same_.

"All right. Close my door then, flower," he slurred.

"Did he say yes?" Andromeda's voice whispered nearly a second later as Narcissa closed the heavy door behind her.

"I don't know," replied Narcissa, gripping her sister's arm and leading her into the kitchen. The house elves peered up at them and Andromeda _smiled_ at the creatures before Narcissa gave her a nasty pinch.

"Don't be such a _savage_ , Cissy," scowled Andy, narrowing her eyes and tossing her long, thick braid over one shoulder. The two sisters were dressed to match in long black dresses that were beginning to grow threadbare with wear, and Narcissa shivered upon thinking of what she would be forced to don after finishing Hogwarts; her school uniform was her saving grace. It was the only thing keeping her classmates from discovering her family's precarious financial state.

" _I'm_ not a savage!" she retorted. "You're the one dating Mu- Muggleborns and chumming up to house elves." She seemed to stutter on the word _Muggleborns_ , but Andy wasn't fooled.

"You can barely restrict yourself from using that filthy word. And here I thought you were better than Bella, but I guess I was wrong."

"Oh, hush. Bella is one step away from murdering Muggles, and you know it."

"Lovely. I'm just so fortunate to have been born into this family. I thank my lucky stars every day," snapped Andromeda before she made to leave.

"Wait! Don't you want to hear what Father said?"

"Not particularly. I don't care whether you're allowed to visit Malfoy or not."

"Well, anyway," hissed Narcissa, blocking the doorway with her slight frame, "he didn't exactly say no."

"I'm not interested, Cissy. Lucius Malfoy is a _nasty_ , _arrogant_ boy and I'll bet you anything that he's already joined that dark cult," Andromeda said in a cutting voice. "He's probably heading out with Bella every night and torturing Muggles."

"Be quiet, Andy! Of course Lucius isn't in the cult; you can hardly join as a _student_. Do you think he can just fly off from Hogwarts on his broom at night? And we don't know for _sure_ that Bella's in the cult, we just heard tell that Rodolphus had joined-"

"She's in it. I saw her dark mark," interrupted Andy in a low voice.

" _You what_? _When_?" Narcissa asked urgently, more surprised than she should have been.

"The night we got home. After you went to bed, the two of us stayed up talking in my bedroom. She kept questioning me about Ted, but I managed to convince her that it was a passing thing that had ended last year. Thank Merlin that Evan or Sirius haven't written, but Evan is scared of her and Sirius is halfway to being burned off the tapestry, anyway. When she was satisfied, she warned me that I had _narrowly_ escaped danger and then she rolled up her sleeve to show me," said Andy, looking revolted.

"What did it look like in person?" whispered Narcissa, her blue eyes as wide as saucers.

"The same as it did in the _Daily Prophet_ article that we saw. The black brand- a serpent coming out of a skull," she shuddered.

" _Merlin_."

"Cissy, listen," Andromeda dropped her voice even lower, "I want you to be careful."

"Careful with _what_?" Narcissa asked, her eyes narrowing. She had never taken kindly to her older sisters' advice, as it was usually given condescendingly.

"Careful with who you befriend and who you _date_ ," Andy replied meaningfully.

"I could tell _you_ the very same!"

"Yes, but my boyfriend isn't going to sign me up for a dark cult that is _murdering_ people. It's different, Cissy."

"How dare you! Lucius is not in _any_ cult, and he is very kind to me. He could have snitched on you to Bella, and he hasn't told anyone about you and Ted! You should be grateful." 

"He didn't keep that secret for _me_. Lucius Malfoy has no intentions of doing me any favors, Cissy, trust me. Any confidence that he's keeping is because of you."

"Well, at least he hasn't told! He can't be that maniacal about blood purity, can he?" said Narcissa triumphantly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"I don't know," Andromeda replied reluctantly. "He's not as insane as Bella, clearly, but who is? He and the rest of his Slytherin crew are going to join that cult before long, mark my words. And I wouldn't want my baby sister to be caught up in a tempest."

"I'm not a baby!" hissed Narcissa at her sister's retreating back, tears of anger springing up unbidden. "Maybe you shouldn't leave me for that _Mudblood_ , then, if you're so concerned!" But Andromeda ignored her, traipsing up the stairs like an ice queen, and Narcissa grabbed a glass from the counter and threw it to the floor as violently as she could. It shattered into pieces and she watched through hot tears as Pippa the house elf dutifully cleaned it up with a snap of her tiny fingers.

"Is Miss Narcissa all right? Can I be getting her something?" squeaked Pippa, but Narcissa hurried from the kitchen silently, golden head down.

"Cissa!" said Lucius a week later as she emerged from his fireplace and stepped into the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. Narcissa had visited several times over the years, but mostly for garden parties, so she hadn't seen much of the inside. The room was decorated in a beautiful green and gold color scheme, framed portraits of white-blondes staring impressively at her.

"Lucius," she replied breathlessly as she dropped her trunk on the hearth and his arms encircled her. She leaned forward into his embrace, resting her head against his solid chest as his long arms snaked around her back.

"Miss me?" he asked, already smirking as he tipped her chin up to look at him.

"Perhaps," she said, tilting her head to one side. As always, she felt those stormy gray eyes lock with hers and send sparks flying throughout her body. "Did you miss me?"

"Not really, no," he said, laughing at her look of outrage. "I've just been _so_ busy traipsing around the empty manor and writing my Potions essay."

"You poor thing," she smiled at him, detecting the sarcasm in his voice, "all alone for the holidays!"

"Not anymore," he said in a low voice, bending his lips down to meet hers. He pressed gently at first, tasting her small, red mouth with his own, and then slipped his tongue in. She allowed him access before pushing her body against him more firmly; he reached up a hand to tangle deeply in her hair and let out a small sigh.

"Lucius," she murmured several moments later as he dropped kisses down her jawline. Her eyes fluttered shut as he sucked gently on her neck. "Lucius!" Her eyes flew open as his hand moved from her hair to her waist and then lower.

"Mm?” Lucius said in deep tones, tugging Narcissa against him.

"Lucius, wait," she said weakly as he brought his mouth back up to hers again and pushed so tightly against her that she could _feel_ his interest against her thigh, even through her skirt.

"Wait for what?" he whispered huskily and she felt heat pooling in her the pit of her stomach. For half a second, she forgot why she had told him to wait.

"Your father!" she said suddenly, becoming all too aware of the fact that their drawing room snogging session was growing heated, which was the last thing that she wanted Abraxas Malfoy to catch her doing in his manor.

"Excuse me?" replied Lucius, pulling back and eyeing her strangely. "You want t to wait for my father to see _this?_ "

"No, no," Narcissa almost laughed, "I don't want him to see this! I meant- is he here? Should we relocate somewhere else?"

"Oh! No, he's not here, Cissa. Sorry, I thought I told you that. He's away with our French relations doing family business deals in the Swiss Alps," he said, snapping his fingers suddenly.

"Oh, my mistake! I thought he was going to be back for my visit," she said, praying that her parents didn't discover that she was spending an unchaperoned week with Lucius.

"He was so sorry to miss you," Lucius drawled as a house elf suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Dobby! Please take Miss Black's trunk up to her bedroom." He turned back to face Narcissa as the elf disapparated, staggering under the heavy trunk. "Almost as sorry as he was to miss _me_. I haven't seen him since August, but sons aren't nearly as important as French cousins." He attempted a sneer, but she caught the pain under the sarcasm. Narcissa started to say something, but he took her hand and guided her to sit next to him on the fainting couch instead.

"Lucius," she said softly, her hand cupping his cheek. He turned his lips to kiss her palm and she felt a tug on her heartstrings. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, this is how it is every holiday. We haven't spent a Christmas today since I was five. It doesn't matter now that you're here," he told her quietly, scooting closer to her until they were sitting thigh to thigh.

"I'm sure he loves you, though," she said breathlessly as he began to kiss her again.

"He doesn't," said Lucius bluntly in between kisses. "He only wanted an heir for business, not for bonding. My mother was the one who loved me." Narcissa reached a hand out to brush gently through his hair and rested their foreheads together, digging her eyes into his, which were turning darker by the moment.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," she said in a voice that didn't seem to belong to her, and she continued to stroke his ponytail, eventually untying the silk ribbon so that it hung on either side of his face. He made a low sort of growl, moving her lithe body into his lap as easily as if she were a rag doll, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips fiercely against his. He kissed her back with a fire that was new, and one of his hands splayed out against the small of her back as the other one ran restlessly up and down her side. Her breath hitched as his hand found the side swell of one of her breasts and she felt herself arching into his touch.

"Cissa," he groaned into her mouth, circling her breast and _feeling_ her reaction to him, and she felt heat spreading throughout her body. She just couldn't get _close_ enough.

"Lucius," she murmured, her stomach coiling as his lips plundered hers over and over again. He moved the one hand from her breast and began unbuttoning the front of her dress with alarming speed. "Wait," she protested languidly as if through a faraway haze.

"Mm, Cissa," he whispered into her neck as he undid one button and then another. Her whole body _ached_ for him, but she knew that she couldn't let him undress her in his drawing room. Pureblood ladies would _never_.

"Lucius, stop," she said more firmly, her hand now clenching around his. He halted his motions and looked up at her, her lips swollen with his kisses and her hair beautifully disheveled. "Not _here_ ," she added when she saw the stormy waves rise up in his eyes and recognized it for what it was: _lust_. She could only imagine what was reflected in the oceans of her own eyes.

"No, of course not," he replied quickly, helping her to button up again. "Sorry, Cissa, I got carried away." Narcissa nodded slowly as she hopped off his lap and tried in vain to smooth her hair. Lucius stood as well and retied his long, blonde locks into a neat ponytail.

"No need to apologize," she said, "I did, too. I just don't think that we should...here in your drawing room." Her face flushed pink and she cursed her pale skin for betraying her.

"Absolutely. Can I offer you a refreshment?" he asked, extending his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.

"That would be delightful, Mr. Malfoy," she giggled as he escorted her from the room.

"And, Miss Black, after we're done with the drinks, perhaps I could give you a _proper_ tour?" he asked, that smirk already appearing. "I'll show you the upstairs bedrooms- where I sleep and where you'll be sleeping." He shot her what could only be described as a dirty look, and she was sure that she turned scarlet.

"That would be _truly_ delightful," she whispered, standing on tiptoe to press her lips right up against his ear.

"I thought so," he said cheekily and ghosted a kiss to her glowing cheek as she turned away suddenly to hide her grin, but not before he caught it.


	8. Chapter 8

As Narcissa and Lucius enjoyed their drinks and explored Malfoy Manor together arm-in-arm, stopping to admire each extravagant room, whispering nonsensical little things into the other's ear, and sending covert smirks at one another, Druella Black drifted into one last dreamless sleep at Number Ten Grimmauld Place.

"Mother," called Andromeda as she cautiously opened her bedroom door. There was no response, and Andromeda assumed that her mother had fallen asleep again. She tiptoed out, closed the door behind her retreating back, and slipped back into her own bedroom. "Colloportus," she whispered, jabbing her wand at the door. "Muffliato," she added quickly as an afterthought before opening her window. There, framed on the windowsill against the inky black night sky, was Ted Tonks, grinning up at her.

"Dromeda," he whispered as he leapt gracefully from his perch like a sleek cat. Andromeda felt her heart still at the nickname that he had given her, so different from the overused _Andy_ that her sisters called her.

"Ted," she replied, smiling up at him as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Their lips found each other in a heartbeat, tongues dancing together, and Andromeda leaned her body flush against Ted.

"Miss me?" he said, breaking their kiss to sink fingers deep into her thick braid, deftly untying the ribbon so that her long waves cascaded freely down her back.

"Did you miss _me_?" she asked him playfully. Sparkles lit up her dark eyes and she rested her hand against his cheek.

"If I say yes, can I sleep here?" teased Ted, moving his hands to her waist so that he could tug her impossibly close to him.

"Perhaps," Andromeda replied, pressing her mouth against his as her arms went around his neck. They stood like that for many minutes, lost in their own universe.

"How's your mother?" Ted broke the silence after they resurfaced for air.

"Not well," whispered Andromeda, her brow furrowing. "Bella thinks that Father is poisoning her, but I think that Mother has simply given up. She's been his victim for twenty years, and she can't bear it anymore."

"I'm sorry," he replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, and he shook his head sympathetically.

"Thank you. I've never been especially close to Mother," said Andromeda awkwardly, "but, she's still my mother, I suppose. Although we don't agree on _anything,_ and she stood by and let Father abuse all three of us." Here she broke off, uncertain of whether or not to continue. The three Black sisters had made an unspoken pact many years ago to never inform the outside world of the dark things that had transpired inside their childhood home.

"Dromeda," Ted said softly, running his thumb over her cheek, "what did your father do to you?" He had asked her this last year after she had returned to school from Easter break.

("ANDROMEDA," Cygnus Black's voice had roared from his study last April. Andromeda had been working on her Charms essay at her bedroom desk with Narcissa nestled nearby on the window seat, putting the finishing touches on a particularly nasty Transfiguration essay. Both Black girls' heads had snapped up and they had made frightened eye contact.

"What does he want?" Narcissa had breathed, laying her quill down on the window seat.

"Merlin knows," Andromeda had replied before creeping to open her bedroom door.

"ANDROMEDA!" her father had bellowed a second time, his voice growing closer.

"Yes, Father?" she had called, sounding braver than she felt.

"Come down here immediately!"

"Yes, Father?" she had asked again after tripping down the winding staircase. Loath to let her sister alone with their father, Narcissa had trailed behind, hiding in the shadows.

"I've heard something _very_ disturbing," her father had growled from where he met Andy at the bottom of the stairs, and she'd noticed that his eyes seemed unfocused. "About you and a _Mudblood_." Ringing had erupted in her ears, and she'd put a hand on the banister for support. On the fifth stair from the bottom, Narcissa had rested her knees against her chest and waited, fingers gripping her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"I don't know what you're referring to, Father," Andromeda had whispered, forcing herself to make eye contact with him.

"Oh?" he'd slurred, taking a step closer to her. "I heard it from a very reliable source."

"From whom, if I may ask?" she'd replied boldly.

"I heard from your older sister that you were seen carrying on with a _Mudblood_ in the village of Hogsmeade," he'd hissed. Andromeda's eyes had widened for a split second as she thought back to a weekend in February where she'd traipsed through the village arm-in-arm with Ted, convinced that they were alone.

"That's a lie," she'd replied in almost a whisper.

"Are you calling Bellatrix a liar, then?" her father had demanded. Out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen her mother glide through the doorway of the front parlor.

"Perhaps," she'd said, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

"Andromeda _dearest_ ," he'd hissed in a dangerously low voice, "you have always had a difficult time understanding what it means to be a Black. From the very beginning, you tried to fraternize with the neighboring Muggles. When you got to Hogwarts, Bellatrix wrote to us that you were befriending students in _other_ houses and from _questionable_ backgrounds. In your third year, you elected to take _Muggle Studies_. And NOW, after all of the warnings that we've given you, I discover that you've been _publicly_ carrying on with a _Mudblood_." Andromeda's knees had started to shake so much that she feared they would give way. In the parlor doorway, Druella had held her breath, praying to Merlin that her husband wouldn't snap, but the half empty whisky bottle on his study desk begged to differ. On the stairs, Narcissa had crept into a half-standing position, her wand at the ready.

"Father," Andromeda had begun, but her father had cut right through her.

"ENOUGH. I've had ENOUGH. Evidently you can't comprehend that you are a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. We are one of the purest wizarding families in England, and I will have you burnt off the family tree before you are seen carrying on with Mudbloods or Blood Traitors again. Toujours Pur, do you hear me, GIRL?" he'd bellowed, his flushed face an inch from hers. She'd gulped, swallowing down any sort of protest.

"Yes," she'd whispered, and Druella had let her breath out as Narcissa had loosened her fingers on her wand. Cygnus had stepped back, seemingly satisfied, but then Andromeda's heart had seemed to explode and she found that she couldn’t remain silent anymore. "Actually, NO. I don't understand, Father-"

"CRUCIO!" her father had roared, whirling around and hitting her full on with the curse. Druella had gasped, shrinking back against the wall and Narcissa had jumped into action.

"Father, NO!" she had screamed, hurrying to Andromeda's side as she writhed in agony, pain, pain, the most terrible and unforgivable pain shooting through her veins and crippling her body as it twitched on the floor.

"CRUCIO!" His features were twisted in fury as he cast the curse again.

"FATHER!" Narcissa had shrieked, tears leaking from blue eyes. She'd raised her wand threateningly, thin arm shaking, but he'd merely laughed and sent a quick _Expelliarmus_ at her so that the wand flew out of her hand. Druella had slid to the parlor floor in a silent heap.

"Do you understand now, _girl_?" he'd hissed several minutes later after Andromeda had stopped convulsing in agony and lay there gasping for breath at the foot of the stairs. Narcissa had crouched over her sister's body, silently sobbing.

"Y-y-yes, Father," Andromeda had stuttered, the unspeakable pain still alive in her body.

"If I _ever_ hear tell again that you are socializing with the _wrong_ crowd, I will have you burnt off the family tree faster than you can say _Mudblood_ ," her father had growled in a terrible voice before turning on his heel and slamming the door of his study behind him. Andromeda had groped wordlessly for Narcissa, who'd dropped to the floor and pulled her sister's head into her lap, stroking her hair gently away from her burning face.

"Andy," she'd whispered in horror, "Oh, Andy.")

"Dromeda?" Ted asked again as they stood in her bedroom and Andromeda came tumbling back to the present.

"Oh, Ted. My father, he..." before she could finish, a roar erupted from the direction of her mother's bedroom.

"What was that?" Ted whispered in alarm as Andromeda motioned for him to exit out the window. She tore out of her bedroom and down the hallway, swallowing her rising fear.

"Mother? Mother!" she called desperately, but to no avail. The house was once again eerily silent, but as she reached the threshold of her mother's chamber, she found the door thrown open and saw her father's crumpled form leaning over her mother's still body, and she knew without any words that it was over.

* * *

"And this is _my_ bedroom," Lucius drawled in Wiltshire as he and Narcissa entered the last room on the north wing of the second floor of Malfoy Manor.

"I just _love_ the color scheme," she said teasingly, eyeing the wall-to-wall Slytherin green carpeting. A large four-poster bed stood in one corner of the bedroom.

"I thought you would," he smirked at her, tugging her further into the room by her hand.

"You know how I appreciate Slytherin pride. It's almost as though we're in the Common Room now," replied Narcissa, wrapping her long, slender fingers around his wrist.

" _Exactly_. But, it's as if we were in the Common Room and _no one_ else was present. Whatever would we do if we had the dungeon all to ourselves?" His grey eyes glinted mischievously at her, and she grinned back at him. Before long, his lips were on hers, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, and her hand resting against his firm chest. "Cissa," he murmured after several minutes.

"Hm?" she whispered, eyes still closed. She felt him move away from him and her lips turned down in a pout. "What are you doing?"

"It's exactly two minutes to midnight," said Lucius, trotting over to his bedside table.

"Yes," Narcissa agreed in confusion, "it is. But what does that have to do with-"

"Cissa, what day is it?" he asked, pulling a small box out of the drawer.

"It's January 2nd," she replied. "But my-"  
"Happy Birthday, Narcissa," he interrupted her as the clock struck twelve and he handed her the small box, which was wrapped neatly with a green satin bow.

"Oh, Lucius!" she exclaimed, pleased that he had remembered.

"Open it," urged Lucius, eyes locked intently on her. She untied the bow with deft fingers and lifted the lid to reveal a fine gold chain with a glimmering emerald heart.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, reaching out her index finger to gently touch the necklace, "I love it." And she smiled up at him, her cerulean eyes sparkling as much as the emerald heart.

"Cissa," he replied huskily, reaching out a hand for her waist, "I..." Here he broke off, staring into her eyes so penetratingly that she was afraid that he'd drowned in her ocean tides. "I'm not very good at expressing how I feel, but I..."

"It's all right, Lucius," she whispered in reply, closing the box and putting her hand to his cheek, "I understand."

"Yes, but Cissa, I do want to tell you that I... I..."

"I do, too," murmured Narcissa and the look that he gave her before engulfing her in his arms and taking her mouth with his sent shooting stars coursing through her body. She swore that her heart was exploding with euphoria as she deposited the small box carefully onto the desk next to her and twined her arms around his neck. They kissed feverishly, his hands plunging deep into her long, golden curls as they fell loose down her back, and her own fingers loosening the ribbon around his platinum ponytail. He moved his lips down her jaw, down her neck, to the groove in between her collarbones at the top of her dress. She pressed herself against him _tightly, tightly, tighter_ until she could feel his heartbeat thudding in time with her own.

"Cissa," he moaned, his fingers moving to unbutton the front of her dress for the second time that night. Flashes of warning from her mother drifted through her mind: white dress, modesty, purity, virginity, proper Pureblood ladies do NOT carry on before marriage. She ignored these fragmented thoughts, instead focusing on the boy in front of her. She knew in that moment that she didn't want to be a proper Pureblood lady; she simply wanted to belong to Lucius as he did to her.

"Lucius," replied Narcissa, pulling her flushed face back to make eye contact with him. His eyes were wild, like thunderheads rolling in before a storm, and she could once again feel his own desire hard against her thigh. Her own feelings of lust swirled around her stomach.

"Can I?" Lucius whispered before unbuttoning the dress further. She nodded, her red lips swollen and parted for him, and he leaned in to capture them tenderly. "You're so beautiful."

"I...I've never done..." she started nervously, her own fingers skimming across the buttons of his shirt. He smiled kindly at her, a far cry from his trademark smirk.

"It's okay, Cissa. Tell me when you want to stop," he replied, and she nodded wordlessly. Minutes later, her dress and his shirt and trousers lay in a jumbled heap on the floor. Lucius stood in black silken shorts and Narcissa in her lace slip.

"Lucius," she whispered, reaching her hand out for his, and he instantly closed the distance between them, wrapping his strong arms around her lithe frame. She relished his warmth against her, and leaned into the embrace as he plundered her lips once again.

"Cissa, I-" But before he could continue, they both heard a loud thump as a large, tawny owl collided with Lucius's bedroom window.

"Morgana?" exclaimed Narcissa, hurrying to open the window. A blast of wintery night air hit her in the face as the Black family owl hopped onto the windowsill.

"What is it?" asked Lucius, watching as she tore open the envelope that Morgana had been carrying. Her blue eyes skimmed over the page rapidly before lifting to meet his.

"My mother," Narcissa said in a shaking voice, "she's dead."


	9. Chapter 9

The funeral was a somber affair filled with Black and Rosier cousins, assorted friends, and various Pureblood families. It was held on one of the coldest days of the year, following a large snowstorm; Ten Grimmauld Place looked as though it had been dipped in snow. Icicles dripped from the roof, sparkling fairy snow covered the bushes, and Sirius and Regulus's snowmen stood tall in the back garden. After their mother had been entombed, the three Black sisters welcomed all their relations and friends, and tried their best to play proper hostesses.

"Where is Father?" Narcissa asked, although she was fairly certain that she already knew the answer to her question.

"Passed out in his study," replied Andromeda in a matter-of-fact tone, as though she were stating the weather. The two of them stood in the front parlor, greeting the guests as they filed inside, brushing snow off of their coats, robes, and shoes.

"Merlin," Narcissa said, cerulean eyes growing wider than usual.

"He's been even worse since it happened," whispered Andy before she turned to shake Cecilia Parkinson's mother's hand. "Mrs. Parkinson, how are you? Thank you so much for coming." Narcissa nodded along silently.

"Oh, you poor darlings," gushed Mrs. Parkinson, who had the same pug nose as her daughter. "I can't even imagine."

"Cissy, I am _so_ sorry," Cecilia said in a low voice, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend. Narcissa forced her stiff body to reciprocate the hug.

"Thank you, Cecilia," she whispered. "And thank you for coming."

"Let's talk later," replied Cecilia as she moved down the receiving line with the rest of the Parkinson family.

"Where is Bella?" murmured Andromeda after they had greeted a dozen more witches and wizards. The flow seemed to be lessening, and Narcissa wondered when they could slip away for a moment of solitude.

"Yes," their Aunt Walburga jumped in, evidently having overheard Andy's whisper, "where is your sister?" She and Uncle Orion were helping their nieces to greet everyone, and Narcissa knew this was only because her father was incapacitated.

"I saw her with Rodolphus a while ago," replied Narcissa. "Andy, should we go find them?" Andromeda nodded, and they left arm-in-arm to search for their sister.

"The door's locked, don't worry," Andy reassured her younger sister as they passed the study and she eyed it nervously.

"He's really been in an even worse state," said Narcissa quietly. "I thought that he didn't care about her."

"We are all his victims," Andromeda replied sagely, "but perhaps he loves us in his own, twisted way."

"Andy, how can you say that? He's used the Cruciatus curse on _all_ of us. We've seen him _beat_ Mother. He married Bella off to someone _ten_ years her senior without her consent."

"I know, darling, I know. Believe me, after the school year ends, I am gone from this decaying well of misery."

"So, you really are going to leave me?" hissed Narcissa. At this point, they had reached the kitchens, and Andromeda whisked her in by her wrist so that they could have a private conversation. As usual, the house elves twittered hello and offered to serve them, even as they prepared food tray after food tray for the guests.

"Cissy, not again. We've _discussed_ this; I told you that you could come live with Ted and me. You don't have to cut me off like everyone else in the family is going to," said Andromeda, after assuring the house elves that they were fine, thank you very much in a tone that sent Narcissa's eyes rolling sky high.

"I cannot! Do you really think that I would move in with you and a Mu-"

"Don't say it, Cissy! Merlin, sometimes I love you and sometimes I think that you're no better than the rest of-"

"Andy, I would be burned off the tapestry by association! This is your own foolish choice and I won't-"

"Fine, don't. Follow these inane Pureblood tenets that Mother _forced_ upon us and align yourself with Bella and Lucius, who think that murdering Muggles is _fun_ and-"

"I've told you, Lucius is not in the cult! He is still a _student_ , for Merlin's sake, and I highly doubt that Bella is _murdering_ -"

"Oh, please, Cissy! She tried to murder me once for taking her lipstick without asking. She levitated a tree branch over you for playing with her doll. She-"

"Regardless, Andromeda, I do not condone you running off with a Mu-"

"What if it were Lucius? I've said this before, Cissy; I know that you both lo-"

` "Be quiet! You have no idea what you're talking about -"

"Narcissa?" Lucius's voice cut through their squabbling, and Narcissa glanced up to see his blonde head poking around the door.

"Lucius!" she said breathlessly, ignoring Andromeda's pointed eye roll.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked, stepping fully into the kitchen.

"No!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"Yes!" Andromeda said at the same time. Blue eyes met brown ones in an identical glare.

"I just wanted to see if you were all right," said Lucius, "but if you're in the middle of something, then I can-"

"No, no," cut in Andromeda as Narcissa pinched her on the arm so painfully that she drew a sharp intake of breath. "I'm just leaving, so you two can have a lovely little chat." Without another word or look at either of them, she swept out of the room.

"Here, follow me," Narcissa said before Lucius could say anything, and she steered him out a side door from the kitchen into a tiny room the size of a closet.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around in confusion.

"It was originally a pantry, but we just use it for private conversations now," explained Narcissa, pointing her wand at the door with a muttered _Colloportus_ and _Muffliato_.

"Ah," said Lucius, taking a step closer to her. "How are you, Cissa?" Before she knew it, she was wrapped securely in his arms, her head buried against his chest. Tears bit at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them come.

"I'm all right," she whispered to his dress robes and she felt his fingers in her hair, which she had charmed into an elaborate crown of braids.

"Really?" he murmured, tipping her chin up so that they were eye-to-eye. "You know I lost my mother when I was little; if anyone understands what it's like-"

"I know," she sighed, her eyes shining, "I know. It's just that I-"

"Cissa," he said as he saw her swallow the lump that was rising in her throat, "you don't have to hide your feelings with me." 

"Oh, but I do. Proper Pureblood ladies must remain in control of their emotions at all times," replied Narcissa, sniffing ever so quietly.

"That's ridiculous," Lucius said, rolling his eyes. "This is different; we're different. I feel that I can be real with you; unlike anyone else I've ever known. I've felt that way since I met you at the garden party when we were children." At the mention of the garden party, Narcissa felt a terrible tug at her heartstrings and she knew that her eyes were about to spill over. She nodded silently as tears poured down her face, and Lucius held her tightly, his hands stroking her back.

"Thank you," she told him presently after her crying had subsided.

"Of course," he replied, kissing her gently. She smiled at him with damp eyes.

"It's difficult because I wasn't very _close_ with Mother, but I did love her. I'm sorry that you lost your mother when you were so young, it must have been terrible," she whispered, putting her hand against his cheek. He nodded wordlessly, eyes staying locked with hers, and put his hand over hers.

"Cissa," he said after a minute or so of silence, "I need to tell you something."

"Wait," she cut him off before he could continue, "I want to ask you a question first."

"Yes?" he asked, one blonde eyebrow raised.

"You know the dark cult that Rodolphus is allegedly involved in?"

"Yes, I've heard tell of it. Many people at school are thinking of joining."

"Are you?" Narcissa whispered, drawing in a breath.

"I don't know," replied Lucius truthfully. "Would it bother you if I did?"

"No," she said even as her mind screamed _Yes_. "But, please be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you, and since Rodolphus and Bella have apparently joined, I can't imagine that it is the safest group."

"Don't worry, Cissa," he smiled at her a little too understandingly. "I would never deliberately endanger myself."

"Good," she replied, stroking his cheek with her index finger. "Too many people are leaving me, and I don't want-"

"I'll never leave you, I promise," Lucius whispered before pressing his lips to her hand. She twined her arms around his neck as he tugged her against him more securely. "I love you," he added in a voice filled with such intensity that it sent thrills coursing through Narcissa's body.

"I love you, too," she replied, and it was true. With that, there was nothing left to be said, and their bodies molded against each other as perfectly as they always did, as though she had been born the lock to Lucius's key.

* * *

"CISSY," screamed Bella in grating tones at least an hour later. She and Rodolphus had finally appeared after having consumed a bottle of Firewhisky in the garden. Narcissa and Lucius emerged from the pantry, hand-in-hand, eyes sparkling in a mysterious way, only to find that most of the guests had disapparated.

"Bella?" asked Narcissa.

"Cissy and Lucius, I need to speak with you," Bella said dramatically, pushing a hand through her wild ebony locks and tangling them even further. 

"Why?" asked Narcissa, as Lucius put a hand on the small of her back.

"Because," Bella replied only slightly unsteadily. Rodolphus simply nodded.

"Fine," sighed Narcissa, and she and Lucius followed the two Lestranges into yet another secret room off of the kitchen.

"This place is a labyrinth," Lucius said, looking around him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Bella, closing the door behind them and casting the usual charms. Again, Rodolphus nodded his agreement, and Narcissa wondered if the man had ever had an original thought.

"Don't tell me to shut up," Lucius replied hotly as Narcissa laid a hand on his arm.

"Don't talk back to her," said Rodolphus unexpectedly, and the other three stared at him in surprise.

"Darling," Bella said in a falsely sweet tone that nearly made her sister gag, "thank you. Now, Cissy and Malfoy, we want to extend an invitation to you."

"Yes?” Lucius asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Have you heard of the Death Eaters?" said Bella in an affected whisper. Narcissa and Lucius nodded silently, Narcissa's fingers tightening on his arm. Bella rolled up the sleeve of her black dress to flash the Dark Mark at them, and Rodolphus did the same. Narcissa saw Lucius swallow hard. "Good. Well, the Dark Lord is interested in expanding our circle, and we thought that we'd pass an invitation along to the two of you. Cissy, you're a shoe-in. Malfoy, I'm not so sure, but you've got money pouring out of your _ass,_ and Cissy seems to like you."

"No, thank you," replied Narcissa daintily, as Lucius snorted audibly. Bella narrowed her dark eyes at her sister.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

"I don't think that's my sort of thing," Narcissa said.

"But, no one turns down the Dark Lord, dear sister. Are you daft?"

"It looks like Narcissa just did," interrupted Lucius in a sharp tone, "so maybe you'd best let it be, Bellatrix."

"It's _Mrs. Lestrange_ to you, Malfoy," Bella replied, staring at Lucius with dislike. "Cissy, don't be a baby. This is the right path to take; don't follow our Blood Traitor sister."

"I'm not following Andromeda," protested Narcissa angrily, "I just don't think that I'm cut out for this sort of thing." Lucius reached a hand out for her wrist, and tightened his fingers around her reassuringly.

"But, Cissy! You don't know what you're-"

"She knows very well what she's doing. She's not a child, Bellatrix; leave her alone. I, however, will accept your invitation to meet the Dark Lord," cut in Lucius. Both sisters turned to stare at him. Narcissa suppressed a groan; she knew this was coming sooner or later, but she thought that it would be later.

"Not so fast, Malfoy, perhaps we'll rescind your invitation due to _insolence_ ," snapped Bella as her husband once again nodded.

"I do not think that the Dark Lord would approve," Lucius countered, his gray eyes flashing. "I'm sure that he would greatly mourn the absence of the connections and financial backing that I could bring to the group." Narcissa shivered, having caught a glimpse of the inner power that she knew Lucius possessed.

"Fine," replied Bella, rolling her eyes. Rodolphus fingered his wand threateningly as he leered at Lucius. "I'll send you the date and time by owl; expect it to be sometime next month." With that, the Lestranges exited the secret room, leaving Narcissa and Lucius in their wake.

"Do you mind?" he asked her softly, pushing a stray lock from her temple.

"No, I just want you to be careful," replied Narcissa, repeating her warning from earlier. She opened her mouth to continue, hut at that very moment a roar from somewhere on the second floor ripped through the silence. She sprinted into the kitchen, through the front hall, and up the winding staircase, Lucius at her heels.

"ANDROMEDA," Cygnus Black bellowed as he stood glaring at his second daughter's empty bedroom, a crumpled note in hand. Bellatrix and Narcissa sped into the room at the same moment, and both reached for the parchment.

"What does it say?" asked Narcissa breathlessly as Bella began to read aloud.

"'Dearest Father, Bella, and Cissy: By the time you read this note, I shall be gone. I have left with Ted Tonks and shall marry him once the school year has ended. I am sorry to desert the family, but I can no longer live a lie. Ted and I have fallen in love, and I do not belong in the Pureblood world, or as a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. You can burn me off the tapestry, and disown me, and remove me from the will, but I won't come back. I am no longer pure, and I do not stand by our motto. I wish you all the best from my new home in London; I hope that one day, we may be able to put this behind us. Forever, your darling Andromeda."

"That Blood Traitor _whore_ ," roared Cygnus after several minutes of silence. "She's going to be burned off the tapestry _now_." And with that, he marched downstairs, wand in hand. Bella and Rodolphus followed closely, leaving Narcissa and Lucius in Andromeda's deserted room.

"Cissa," he said quietly, reaching a hand toward her.

"Oh, Lucius," she replied in a daze, blue eyes clouding over, "we're ruined. The Black family name is destroyed. We can never come back from this."

"Cissa," he repeated, at a loss for words. She stepped from within his grasp toward the window, and stuck her head out into the frosty air, breathing in a deep lungful of it.

"Andy, oh Andy," Narcissa whispered out the window to the blue-black, starlit sky, "what have you done?"


	10. Chapter 10

Two days after the funeral, Narcissa found herself on the Hogwarts Express returning to school. Bellatrix, who was still fuming and threatening to track down Andromeda's Mudblood and skin him alive, saw her off.

"Don't worry, Cissy," said Bella as Narcissa hugged her goodbye. "I'll take care of that little Blood Traitor. How _dare_ she disrespect the House of Black like this, especially on the heels of Mother's death?" Privately, Narcissa agreed that Andy's timing had been atrocious, but she had no desire to see Bella commit murder in the name of Blood Purity.

"Goodbye, Bella. I'll see you after the year is finished," Narcissa replied gloomily, adjusting the black ribbon in her hair. She had been wearing it as a tribute to both her mother and the fall of the House of Black. As she watched Bella apparate away with a whirl of her fur-lined black cape, she sensed a presence behind her.

"Oh, Cissy," Cecilia Parkinson breathed as Narcissa turned around. Cecilia was hand-in-hand with Evan Rosier, who also had an apologetic look on his face. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" asked Narcissa as the three of them started to board the train together. "Is it true that my mother is dead? Or that _dear_ Andromeda has run away with a Mudblood?" She forced her face into a hard little sneer.

"We're very sorry, cousin," Evan said as he steered them into an empty compartment. "Is Andromeda _really_ gone? What about the rest of the year? She has to sit for her NEWTs."

"I have no idea," scowled Narcissa, flopping into a seat by the window. "She didn't specify in her incredibly brief and insensitive letter."

"Merlin," Cecilia said, eyes round as saucers. "Aren't you two supposed to be doing Prefect shifts on the train ride?" she added as an afterthought.

"Oh, I forgot about that," said Evan offhandedly, hoisting all three trunks up onto the top rack. "Where's dear Lucius, Cissy? No trouble in paradise, I hope."

"Don't be silly, Evan," Narcissa snapped, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "He's meeting me on the train. I just saw him two days ago, as did both of you." After their discovery of Andromeda's note, her father had burned his daughter off the tapestry and then huffed off to drink himself into a stupor in his study. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had watched him do so with a maniacal gleam in their eyes (at least, Narcissa assumed that they had; she had been upstairs with her head out the window for twenty minutes until Lucius had coaxed her back inside), and then disappeared into Bella's old bedroom with yet another bottle of Firewhisky. Lucius had left several hours later much to his chagrin, but after Narcissa had insisted that she was fine and would see him in two days on the Hogwarts Express. "I suppose we _should_ find the Prefect compartment, though."

"Fine, just leave me," teased Cecilia as her best friend and boyfriend stood up to depart. She pouted, and Evan leaned down to kiss her.

"Can you please wait until I'm at least _looking_ somewhere else?" Narcissa complained, rolling her eyes as she traipsed into the corridor. There, she collided with something tall and solid, and oh so familiar.

"Cissa," said Lucius, taking hold of her arm and cutting short her apologies. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I was just coming to find you and the rest of the Prefects," Narcissa replied, standing on tiptoe so that she could press a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Before we do that, I need to tell you something," he said quickly and whisked them back into the compartment. Evan and Cecilia stared at them in surprise as Lucius sealed the door.

"What's going on?" asked Evan, cocking his head to one side. "Shouldn't we be with the other Prefects? Malfoy, why are you shutting the door?"

"Muffliato," Lucius said with a flick of his wrist. "Listen, I need to tell Narcissa something, but I suppose the two of you can hear it, as well."

"What is it?" asked Narcissa in slight alarm as she sank into a seat.

"I saw Andromeda. She's in the Hufflepuff compartment with her Mu- her Muggle."

"So, she did come back?" gasped Cecilia.

"Merlin!" Evan exclaimed.

"How _dare_ she," hissed Narcissa in a low and dangerous tone. "How dare she come back here and ruin everything? She knows it's going to be hard enough for me now that the Black name is ruined, and now I'll have to face her? I'll have to watch her skipping around with that _Mudblood_ as if everything is wonderful, while everyone else is whispering behind my back. And if she thinks that I'm going to even _acknowledge_ her presence, well Merlin is she wrong." She felt hot rage pounding in her body and for the first time in her life, felt an anger that she couldn't suppress. She felt like a true Black.

"Don't worry, Cissa," Lucius said earnestly, sitting down next to her and wrapping an arm around her, "I will make sure that she doesn't so much as _glance_ in your direction. And if I hear _anyone_ at all making any comments about the Blacks, they will pay." His gray eyes shone with the same ire that flooded her veins, and in that moment, she knew they were one.

* * *

Narcissa successfully avoided Andromeda for the duration of the train ride, but there was no escaping her presence when they all entered the Great Hall for dinner. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Andy tentatively approached the Slytherin table and then hesitated in front of Narcissa. Lucius, who was on Narcissa's left side, was dictating a new Quidditch plan to Evan, but he put his hand reassuringly on her knee as Andromeda tried to make eye contact.

"Cissy," she said in a low tone, as whispers started buzzing around her.

"...Blood traitor..."

"...A _Hufflepuff_ Mudblood."

"...I heard she was disowned..."

"Cissy," said Andromeda again, turning scarlet. Narcissa, who had ignored the first plea, turned herself fully toward Lucius and put her hand on his arm.

"Cissa?" he asked, turning away from Evan as he described something that sounded like a Ronnie Faint, and locked eyes with Narcissa. They communicated wordlessly for a long minute.

"Cissy," Andromeda tried one last time.

"Excuse me, _Andromeda_ ," sneered Lucius in his most haughty tone. "What are you doing by the Slytherin table? The Blood Traitor table is over there." He gestured toward the Hufflepuff table with a jerk of his head, his gray eyes coldly appraising Andromeda. Without a word, she turned on her heel and hurried out of the Great Hall, head down. Narcissa saw Ted Tonks hop up from his seat at the Hufflepuff table and follow her sister.

"Thank you," whispered Narcissa, covering Lucius's hand with her own and giving it a gentle squeeze. She tried to ignore the pointed stares in her direction that were coming from her own house table.

"For you? Anything," Lucius replied, before turning to regard their table and raising his voice. "Listen up, Slytherins. I'm not entirely sure why everyone seems to be _staring_ at Narcissa. If you have something you'd like to say to her, go right ahead." Everyone kept silent, some of the first years cowering under his frosty glare. "No? I thought so. Let's get something straight here; Narcissa has in no way done _anything_ wrong. Her sister Andromeda is a Blood Traitor, and we do not stand for that in Slytherin House, but she is an innocent. If I see anyone so much as _breathe_ rudely in her direction, they will _pay_. I am not against taking points from my _own_ house, as you all know. Understood?" Again, Lucius was met with silence. He nodded approvingly, as that was evidently the reaction he was going for. "Very good. Now, everyone get back to eating and do _not_ disappoint me." With that, he turned back to a silent Narcissa and patted her knee.

"When are you running for Minister of Magic, Malfoy?" Walden McNair laughed from halfway down the table.

"In your dreams, McNair," sneered Lucius as he took a large bite of Shepherd's pie.

"Well, you should be safe now, Cissy," Cecilia whispered in her friend's ear. "No one will dare taunt you after that speech."

"I know," replied Narcissa, pushing her food in circles around her plate. She knew that she should feel assured after that speech, but Lucius had only made her feel more anxious. Or perhaps it was the look in her sister's eyes as she hurried away. "I'll see you upstairs, I'm not very hungry," she whispered to Lucius as she stood up.

"Are you all right?" he asked her in concern. She nodded, not fully meeting his eyes, and quickly exited the Great Hall.

* * *

The winter days flew by for Narcissa, despite her initial impression that the term would drag. Andromeda stayed out of the Slytherins' way as much as possible, spending nearly all of her time with Ted, as well as Sirius and his Gryffindor friends. Lucius led the Slytherins through two victories on the Quidditch field, and kept a watchful eye on anyone that dared whisper anything about Narcissa. Narcissa and Cecilia, constantly with Lucius and Evan now, watched their boys faithfully as they practiced through the snows of January and February, and the winds of early March.

"I can hardly wait until we're both married," squealed Cecilia one Saturday in mid-March as she and Narcissa trotted into Hogsmeade arm-in-arm.

"Merlin, Cecilia," Narcissa replied, pulling her cloak more tightly to her body as the wind nipped at their faces. She knew that her hair was faintly tousled and her cheeks were flushed from the cold, but she liked to think that she made a pretty picture. "Don't you think you're dreaming too far ahead? We haven't even made it to Sixth year yet!"

"Oh, Cissy," said Cecilia, rolling her eyes. "You know we're going to marry Lucius and Evan. We're two _perfect_ Pureblood couples." _That they were_ , thought Narcissa, who sometimes felt as though she were being pulled through life by Lucius. She loved him and he was always kind and gentle with her, but she had seen his temper and the power that he held over others. She knew they made a perfect match, and she _had_ been interested in him since that garden party, after all, but somewhere very, very deep inside, she wondered. She wondered about Blood Purity and the importance of it, about love and its unexpected hold over people, and about right and wrong, good and evil.

"Cecilia," Narcissa said suddenly. She grabbed her friend's arm and stopped short just outside of the Hog's Head.

"What's the matter?" asked Cecilia.

"Did Evan tell you where the boys were going today?"

"He said they had a special Quidditch meeting."

"That's what Lucius said, as well. But, look! Look over there." Both heads turned to see a small group of boys, closely resembling Lucius, Evan, Walden McNair, Augustus Rookwood, Lennox Avery, and two others that Narcissa couldn't place, filing into a small side alley.

"What are they doing?" whispered Cecilia as Narcissa tugged her friend by the arm so that they could trail the boys. Suddenly, she slammed them both against a brick wall as she heard a familiar high-pitched cackle.

"I'm impressed, Malfoy. You _do_ seem to have some influence, after all. Maybe my sister isn't as foolish as I thought," Bellatrix's voice carried over to them. Lucius shot back some reply that Narcissa couldn't hear, but she popped her head around the wall in time to watch as Rodolphus Lestrange, the last person left in the alleyway, crept inside and closed the heavy oak door behind him.

"What _are_ they doing?" Cecilia repeated as Narcissa turned back to her.

"I think," replied Narcissa, "that they're meeting with the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord? You mean the leader of that _cult_ that's-"

"Yes."

"Oh, Cissy, why? Why would they do that? It's so dangerous, and they're too young to join! Evan hasn't even turned sixteen yet."

"I know, Cecilia, I know. Bella tried to recruit Lucius and me during the winter holidays, but I said no. Lucius is interested, though. He said everyone at school has been talking about it."

"I just," Cecilia hesitated as she and Narcissa trotted briskly away from the side alley and in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. "I just don't understand why they would want to join. Clearly I support Pureblood relations, and I don't think that Slytherin should be letting in Muggleborns anytime soon, but to murder them?"

"I know, Cecilia," replied Narcissa as they found seats in a back corner of the pub. "I completely agree. Bella's been maniacal about Blood Purity for years, so it isn't too surprising that she joined, but Evan? He's never been like that. And I thought that Lucius wasn't either, but now I'm not so sure." She bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Merlin, Cissy; this is _frightening_. I really hope they don't join. Here, let me buy us some Butterbeers." And with that, Cecilia strode over to the bar to order, leaving Narcissa to her rather jumbled thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope you're still enjoying the story. I wasn't sure how long it was going to be originally, but now it just kind of keeps going LOL! Still having lots of fun writing it :)

Narcissa and Cecilia eventually made their way back to the castle after throwing back several Butterbeers.

"I just don't understand," said Narcissa, the alcohol beginning to hit her, "why on earth Lucius wouldn't have _told_ me."

"Because they're boys," Cecilia slurred slightly, gripping her friend's arm. "They like to have _secrets_."

"But, I was invited to meet with the Dark Lord, too. Did you know that?"

"No! You were invited to that meeting _today_?" gasped Cecilia.

"No, not _today's_ meeting," Narcissa huffed, rolling her eyes. "During the holidays Bella invited both Lucius and me to meet with him. I said no, though."

"Smart," replied Cecilia approvingly. "I don't think that we want to get involved with a dangerous cult. That can only end badly."

"I know," Narcissa agreed, looking at Cecilia from wide eyes.

"Cissy," said Cecilia suddenly, stopping mid-stride. "Did you know that your eyes are the exact color of the _ocean_?"

"You're drunk, Cecilia," Narcissa giggled, her own words coming out slightly muddled.

"I am not!" Cecilia looked outraged.

"You are, but so am I. I think? I've never really touched alcohol much because of my father- well, you know," said Narcissa awkwardly.

"Yes," said Cecilia confidentially, "I caught a glimpse of him at your house after your mother's funeral."

"Narcissa! Cecilia!" rang out behind the girls before Narcissa could reply. They both whipped their heads around only to see the group of their Slytherin boys approaching.

"Hello," Lucius said smoothly as he reached Narcissa, and slipped a hand around her waist. "What have you two been up to?" He leaned in to press a kiss to her flushed cheek, but she moved away from him.

"I think that we should really be asking what have _you boys_ been up to," snapped Narcissa. Cecilia nodded violently, also moving out of Evan's arms as he attempted to embrace her.

"Excuse me?" Lucius asked, his smirk slowly fading.

"How was your _Quidditch_ meeting?" Narcissa's eyes shot fire at him.

"We saw you," cut in Cecilia. "It did _not_ look like a Quidditch meeting." Evan and Lucius made reluctant eye contact as the rest of the Slytherin boys moved away from the group and toward the castle.

"Cissa, listen," Lucius said, running an agitated hand through his hair.

"We were going to tell you afterward," broke in Evan as Cecilia yanked her arm away from him.

"A likely story," she snorted.

"Lucius!" Narcissa admonished him, "how could you not tell me? You know that Bella invited _both_ of us to meet him."

"I know," said Lucius, "and I was going to tell you immediately after the meeting!" Narcissa locked eyes with him, trying her hardest to ascertain if he was telling the truth; did he truly intend to tell her after the meeting or was he lying? The chilly March winds whirled around them and she shivered, suddenly wishing that she were safe in the warm castle. "Cissa?" Lucius asked softly after several seconds of silence. With a jolt, she realized that Evan and Cecilia had already started back, fingers entwined.

"Were you _really_ going to tell me, Lucius?" she whispered, a stray blonde lock flying across her face. Lucius stepped closer to her and gently pushed it behind her ear, his hand lingering against her cheek.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I tell you? Bella invited _both_ of us to meet with him," he replied, leaning in ever closer to her.

"Why didn't you tell me _before_ the meeting?" asked Narcissa, feeling the effects of the Butterbeers slowly wearing off. She wasn't exactly sure why, but it was suddenly _essential_ that Lucius didn't keep secrets from her.

"I don't know," he admitted, advancing the other hand toward her waist as warily as if she were a butterfly that would take flight if he moved too quickly. "The rest of the group said they didn't want to tell anyone, so I just went along with it."

"I want you to always be honest with me," she told him, her cerulean eyes narrowing.

"I will, I promise," he replied, hand now around her waist, and tugged her against him. "It will always be you and me, Cissa. Always." She nodded silently, wondering why a lump had suddenly formed in her throat, and she tipped her face up to his.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Narcissa and Lucius had many conversations around the Dark Lord; he had told the Slytherin boys that they could join as soon as they were out of school, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus had been applauded for their recruiting. Lucius told Narcissa repeatedly that he wasn't sure if he was going to join the group, but that it wouldn't be for another year, regardless. Narcissa accepted this, but her stomach still felt like it was twisted in knots.

"I just don't want anything to happen to them," said Narcissa to Cecilia as they poured over their Defense Against the Dark Arts books in the library in late April.

"I know," Cecilia agreed as she frantically scribbled important facts. "I don't either, but honestly, I'm more concerned about OWLs right now."

"I've lost so many people this year," Narcissa whispered, absentmindedly sucking on her quill. Her notes from the year were impeccable as always, even with all of the turmoil that she had faced in her personal life. "I can't stand to lose anyone else."

"I'm sorry, Cissy," said Cecilia, finally looking up and offering her friend a sad smile. "It must be so difficult. Have you spoken to Andromeda at all since the holidays?"

"No," Narcissa attempted to offhandedly snort, but it sounded contrived even to her own ears; she missed Andromeda so much that it felt as though she constantly had a small dagger twisted in her side. "I can't _speak_ to her, Cecilia. She's a Blood Traitor."

"She's also your _sister_ ," whispered Cecilia.

"Not after what she did to our family."

"I know you don't really believe that, though."

"I don't know what I believe anymore," sighed Narcissa in a melancholy tone. She slammed her book closed suddenly and stood up, cramming everything into her bag.

"Cissy," Cecilia said gently. "Don't be-" 

"I'm not," said Narcissa shortly. "I'm going for a walk; I need a break." With that she sauntered out of the library and blindly down the corridors until she found herself somewhere near the Owlery. She stopped short behind a suit of armor when she heard whispered voices.

"...won't even look at me. Do you know how many Howlers my family has sent me? I shouldn't have come back to school," a familiar voice was saying.

"Just ignore them, Dromeda. They're not worth it; if they value the purity of blood more than your happiness then you don't want anything to do with them," a male voice replied.

"I know, I know. But it's easier said than done, and I don't so much care about the rest of them as much as I do about Cissy."

"I'm sorry, but your little sister is just as bad as the rest of them. She looks at me like I'm something that she found on the bottom of her shoe, and she's always with _Malfoy_ , who is one of the most arrogant people I've ever met. The other day I saw him taking points from some Hufflepuff first years, and I'm pretty sure it was only because they weren't Purebloods."

"It's not really her fault, though; that's all she's ever known. We were raised to think that way, and Cissy has always been the good girl, so she was bound to follow the Black family's moral code. Inside, she really is a nice person, but I do worry that she has aligned herself with the wrong people."

"Just forget her, Dromeda. Once we finish school this year we can move to London, and your family won't matter anymore."

"But, Ted, she's my _sister_ -"

"I am _no_ sister of yours!" Narcissa cried suddenly, emerging from her hiding spot behind the suit of armor. She was incensed, red-hot ire pouring through her body; she felt as if she could breathe fire. How _dare_ that Mudblood speak slander against her even as he filled her sister's head with poisonous ideas?

"Cissy?" said Andromeda, her face frozen in a confused frown.

"Don't you _dare_ say things like that about me! You're not worth even a second of my time. I am _not_ just some stupid follower that wants to appease our family; I have my own brain and my own thoughts. Just because it's all we've ever known doesn't mean that I don't share those beliefs, as well. I wouldn't be seen dead interacting with a _Mudblood_ ," said Narcissa, her face burning.

"Very nice," Ted said, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse _me_?" she hissed at him. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

"All right, Narcissa; stop it. You don't have to be rude," snapped Andromeda, stepping in between her sister and Ted.

" _I'm_ being rude?" said Narcissa in disbelief. To her annoyance, angry tears sprang into her eyes. Andromeda smiled an infuriatingly understanding smile at her.

"Cissy, I know that you're upset, and I want to tell you that I understand-" 

"I'm not upset, I'm _mad_ that you ruined the Black family name and you don't even _care_ -"

"Look, Cissy, we both know that it isn't about that. I'm sorry that I abandoned you, but I had no choice-"

"No _choice_?" Narcissa's voice had reached a pitch that only animals could hear. "You had _many_ choices, Andy. You just decided that you were only going to think about yourself-"

"Cissy, please! I told you, if this was Lucius, you would have done the same-"

"But, it wouldn't be Lucius! I wouldn't ever _allow_ myself to fall in love with someone that wasn't a Pureblood! We don't come from that world, Andy, and you just don't care because everything has always been about you! You don't care about me, or what people are whispering behind my back, or the fact that I'm going to have to go back alone to live with _Father_ during the summers, or that I can't ever speak to you again!" Narcissa cried, her eyes spilling over in fury.

"I'm sorry! But, Cissy, you can break away from all of this and you _can_ still speak to-"

"No, I can't! And furthermore, I don't want to. I _know_ what I am and where I came from and where I'll stay. I've accepted it and embraced it, and that's what you should have done, as well. But no! You broke all the rules, followed your own code, and now you've left me." Narcissa glared at her sister through sparkling blue eyes, stray tears running down her face.

"Cissy, I still love you," whispered Andromeda, reaching a hand out toward her.

"Well, I don't love you anymore. Have a nice life with your Mudblood, and don't you ever speak to me _again_ ," Narcissa hissed and turned on her heel. She was vaguely aware of Andromeda and Ted saying something in response, but she met them with deafened ears, and sped to the dungeons.

"Cissa! What's wrong?" cried a voice suddenly as Narcissa, head down, tumbled directly into Lucius, her body colliding hard with his.

"Nothing," she said in a cracked voice, hurriedly wiping away tears.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked in a concerned manner, immediately trying to wrap her in his arms.

"Because I'm angry! I just ran into Andromeda and her stupid _Mudblood_ , and they were saying all these things and I-" she broke off, watching Lucius's eyes narrow in anger.

"What things?" he asked coldly, gray eyes like ice.

"Nothing important," she said. "Just stupid, petty things."

"I'll take care of that _Mudblood_ ," he replied in a warning tone. "How dare he say anything to you? How dare he even look in your direction?" He glared at the wall over her shoulder, clearly seething. Narcissa felt an odd feeling in her stomach, a combination of safety and fear.

"Thank you, but it's not necessary. It was more Andromeda anyway; just sister things."

"Fine, but if anyone ever bothers you, please let me know."

"I will," she said softly and kissed him. He responded hungrily, tugging her flush against him and using his tongue to coerce her lips open for him. She twined her arms around his neck and pressed against him as tightly as she could, feeling that familiar coiling in her stomach that signaled her desire for more of him.

"Cissa?" he said weakly after several long minutes of snogging.

"Yes?" she asked faintly, her lips swollen and red.

"My father wrote me that we're going to our chateau in France for the summer."

"Oh." Narcissa felt her stomach drop several floors. She knew that she'd be going home to essentially an empty house, but she'd assumed that she'd at least have visits with Lucius to look forward to for the summer.

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to come with us," he finished quickly, seeing her face cloud over.

"Yes! Oh, yes, I would love to!" she cried, her face lighting up as quickly as it had darkened, and she threw her arms around him again, kissing him fervently. Perhaps things weren't as grim as they seemed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is really a two-part chapter (the garden party flashback is in the next one). Narcissa finally finishes her fifth year! Let me know what you all think :)

The rest of the school year fairly flew by for Narcissa. She studied with Cecilia and Evan for their OWLs until their eyes nearly fell out of their heads, ignored Andromeda and Ted to the best of her ability, and spent every other second that she had free with Lucius. Their Prefect shifts were passed in empty classrooms and hidden broom closets; Narcissa thanked Merlin that Professor Slughorn never inquired into their whereabouts during their patrols.

"We need to celebrate," Lucius whispered to Narcissa hours after her last OWL, which had been Potions and as difficult as she had anticipated.

"We shouldn't really celebrate until I get my results, though," murmured Narcissa, following him nonetheless into their favorite broom closet, located in a remote corner of a fourth floor corridor. He backed her against the wall, restless fingers already undoing her tie and the buttons of her shirt. She rolled her eyes in jest, her own fingers moving just as quickly over Lucius's shirt.

"Sh," he replied, lips sucking at the base of her throat, "We both know that you passed with flying colors. I've never seen so much studying in my life." He sucked harder, eliciting a small gasp from her.

"Well, we can't all be the heir to the Malfoy fortune," she retorted, tugging his hair from its usual ponytail; it had grown to his shoulders now and she adored running her fingers through the silky, platinum strands. "Some of us have fathers who squandered our inheritance."

"That doesn't matter, Cissa," breathed Lucius, kissing gently down her neck. "You only have to marry rich and you'll be set for life."

"Have anyone in mind for me?" she asked cheekily, arching against him as he put a hand inside her shirt and found her lacy bra.

"Yes, I was thinking that Evan Rosier would be _perfect_. Really keep it in the family, you know? Or perhaps your annoying cousin Sirius- you wouldn't even have to change your name," he teased, running his thumb in circles over the lacy material. She suppressed another gasp.

"Very funny," she hissed, fighting the urge to grind her hips against Lucius. "I'll make sure to set you up with Adelaide Bulstrode." And then she reached her hand down the front of his pants and began to stroke him through layers of silken material. He groaned, but she wasn't sure if it was due to horror at the thought of Adelaide Bulstrode or due to desire.

"Cissa, please," he said in a husky voice several minutes later when they were both pressed tightly to each other, his hands still covering her breasts and her hand stroking up and down his underwear. This was as far as they'd ever come, but Narcissa knew that she couldn't evade her yearning for him much longer, and his hardness against her thigh spoke to the same idea. She couldn't see his eyes, but assumed that she'd find lust-filled waves churning in them.

"Not here," she whispered, her lips finding his in the half-darkness of the closet.

"Where, then?" he replied, his hand around her waist pulling her impossibly close to him.

"Somewhere that isn't a _broom_ closet. I am not some common _whore_ , Lucius," Narcissa snapped, stepping away from him. Their desire for each other was equally matched, but she would _not_ be taken in a hidden closet in Hogwarts. Her mother would surely turn over in her grave at that.

"Cissa, stop. I didn't mean to insinuate that-"

"Then stop trying to take my virginity in classrooms and closets! You're making me feel like some sort of conquest!"

"Of course you're not a _conquest_! That's ridiculous, you know that I love you. I just want you so badly that it's driving me _crazy_. I'll make it special though, I promise," Lucius said in a rush, and she felt her anger subsiding.

"Fine. How will you make it special?"

"How about we do it in France? My father will be off doing business for most of the summer, so we'll have the chateau to ourselves. I can get champagne and find us the nicest bedroom that overlooks the ocean-" Unfortunately, Lucius didn't get to finish his thought because Narcissa threw her arms around his neck once again and kissed him until he was breathless. Pulling away finally, her dancing cerulean eyes strained to meet his in the darkness.

"I love you, Lucius Malfoy," she said happily.

"I love you, too, Cissa. Forever and always."

* * *

Slytherin won both the Quidditch and House Cups for the fourth year running. As Lucius liked to remind everyone, Slytherin had only won both cups consecutively since he had joined the Quidditch team.

"So really, I'm the one you should all be thanking," he drawled at the End-of-Year Feast, one hand resting on Narcissa's knee. She rolled her eyes, jabbing him playfully in the ribs, and Evan Rosier flung a piece of pudding at him.

"Oh, shut it, Malfoy," said Walden McNair and Augustus Rookwood in unison.

"This only makes the stakes higher for you next year," Victor Zabini added. "If you lose during your final year, imagine what everyone will say."

"We won the Quidditch Cup because we had a great _team_ , you arrogant git," said Evan as Cecilia Parkinson giggled.

"Oh yeah, Rosier? I didn't see you doing much playing this year; every time I glanced in your direction, you were _drooling_ at Cecilia," Lucius retorted, flashing his signature smirk.

"You're one to talk," Walden jumped in. "You've had your eyes _glued_ to Cissy since we stepped foot on the Hogwarts Express." Lucius's smirk faded a bit, and Narcissa flushed.

"She can't help it if she's the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts," quipped Cecilia, and Evan snorted loudly.

"All Hail Queen Cissy," he said teasingly.

"Thank you to all of my loyal subjects," said Narcissa loftily, doing a regal wave with her right hand. Lucius pinched her knee and she turned to smile at him, but not before she caught Andromeda staring disgustedly at her from her spot alone at the very end of the Slytherin table. Narcissa made fleeting eye contact, blue eyes locking with dark ones and sending unspoken messages, and then turned back to press a kiss to Lucius's cheek.

"Merlin, children!" exclaimed Evan in mock outrage, "keep that behavior limited to empty classrooms and broom closets."

"Rosier!" Lucius snapped, smirk morphing into a frown. Narcissa grabbed his forearm before he went for his wand, and Walden and Augustus leaned forward eagerly to see if a duel would start. Narcissa, half paying attention to Evan's retort, turned back to look at Andromeda, but she was gone. Her stomach flipped over in a strange way, and she had a sudden urge to search for her older sister.

"I'll see you later," she whispered into Lucius's ear before slipping away from the table.

"Okay," he replied distractedly, now engaged in a verbal sparring match with Evan, and she fled the Great Hall. Every teacher and student was busy with the dregs of dessert and fleeting conversations with colleagues and friends, so no one noticed her absence.

"Cissy?" she heard from behind her as she strode purposefully down a first floor corridor. _Of course_ , she thought as she recognized the voice, _it's Sirius; he always chooses the worst times to bother me_.

"Sirius?" Narcissa asked briskly as she whirled around. She hadn't seen her cousin much since the holidays and her mother's funeral, and both his hair and legs had grown a good deal. In another year or two, he would probably be taller than her.

"Where are you going?" he said, running a hand through his long, dark locks, casually tousling them. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Why are you following me?" she replied, avoiding his question.

"You should talk to her," said Sirius mysteriously. "She really misses you, and that last fight you had upset her."

"I can't talk to her," snapped Narcissa, dropping any formalities. "She chose to leave us, and she has to deal with her isolation for the rest of her life."

"You don't really mean that, though," he said quietly. "I know that you love her, deep down, and you have always been kind, at least to her."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me? Maybe I do mean it! Maybe I don't love her! Maybe no one knows the real Narcissa, and maybe she's not a very kind person," she hissed, angry tears once again springing into action.

"I think that deep down, you are kind," Sirius replied. "You just need to stop hanging around people like Malfoy."

"For your information, I _love_ Lucius, and he is _very_ kind to me."

"Oh, Cissy, come one! You know as well as I do that he's privileged and arrogant, and obsessed with his Pureblood status. Is that really the future that you want?"

"You don't know him!" retorted Narcissa, her cheeks coloring. "I've known him since we were young, and he has another side to him that only _I_ have seen-"

"Really, Cissy?" Andromeda's voice suddenly cut in as she rounded a corner to join her relations. "Do you really believe that he is misunderstood because of what he told you at that stupid garden party when you were children?" 

"Yes!" she cried, and thought back to that day...


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the second part! I've wanted to throw in a flashback to baby Narcissa and Lucius meeting for a while, and it finally felt right. Enjoy :)

("I'm not going!" eleven-year-old Bellatrix had screamed, storming out of her father's study with the burning imprint of her father's hand across her face.

"Where are we going again, Andy?" Narcissa, who was seven, had asked nine-year-old Andromeda as they sat perched side-by-side on the fainting couch. Her small hand had found her sister's, and received a reassuring squeeze in response.

"To Malfoy Manor," Andromeda had whispered, ducking as their mother had tried in vain to make her velvet bow stay perched atop her head. "The Malfoys have been in France, right, Mama?" Druella Black, who had thrown her body in front of Bella to stop her from exiting the drawing room, turned back quickly to her younger daughters.

"Yes, darling," she'd said over Bella's screams as she'd wrestled her into a stiff-backed chair. "Carina Malfoy died several years ago, and Abraxas Malfoy and Lucius have been living in their French chateau near their French relations ever since then. I think that Lucius must be right about your age!"

"Are you going to force Andy into an arranged marriage with the Malfoy boy too, then?" Bella had hissed, ebony curls flowing wildly over her shoulders.

"Stop this nonsense _now_ , Bellatrix," their mother had snapped in a warning tone. "You are going to marry Rodolphus Lestrange when you are nineteen, whether you like it or not. Now, wipe your face before we leave and make sure that you look _presentable_." Bella's dark eyes had spit fire at her mother, frightening tempests whirling, but she had obeyed, largely due to the fact that her father had confiscated her brand new wand after she had exploded two bottles of Firewhisky in a fit.

"But, he is _twenty-one_ and she's _eleven_ ," Andromeda had whispered to Narcissa before they were whisked away through the Floo Network to Malfoy Manor.

"This is their whole _house_?" Narcissa had asked in disbelief as they exited the manor and joined everyone else on the vast lawns. She'd suddenly felt as though her bedroom was a mere closet compared to this kingdom.

"Don't gape, Narcissa, it's common," her mother had snapped, pinching her arm as her youngest daughter stared round with wide blue eyes. After their Aunt Walburga had appeared with three-year-old Sirius and one-year-old Regulus in tow, Andromeda and Narcissa had each taken hold of a little cousin and trotted off to explore.

"See, Reggie?" Narcissa had cooed as she held her baby cousin's chubby fist so that he could toddle across the grass. "This is the biggest house that we'll ever see."

"It's pretty!" Sirius had chirped, holding Andromeda's hand as she pointed out a rose garden. The foursome had entered the garden and taken a seat on a bench, not noticing the small blonde boy that stood in the shadows of a great tree nearby.

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix's voice had floated toward them, and they saw her striding in their direction. One look into her dark and stormy eyes had told Narcissa that she was still upset and that she was going to take it out on them.

"Hello, Bella," Andy had replied warily, tugging Regulus into her lap. He'd reached his hand up to tug on her brown curls, which fascinated him to no end.

"And what are the Blacks doing over here?" Bella had asked in a high-pitched tone, and Narcissa immediately noticed that she had her wand back.

"Bella, you can't do magic," Narcissa had said quickly as Sirius grasped her arm.

"Who says? Father and Mother aren't here to stop me," Bella had sneered, flicking her wand at a rose bush with a muttered incantation. The bush went up in flames.

"Bella!" Andromeda had protested. "How do you even know how to that? You haven't started school yet." But, they had all seen Bella mimic their father and his dark magic for years, and it was no real surprise to anyone that her powers were well developed for an eleven-year-old.

"I'm brilliant," Bella had replied, smirking at them, before setting another bush on fire. Regulus, scared of the flames, had begun to cry, and Sirius scooted into Narcissa's lap.

"Bella, please stop," Narcissa had said as her sister approached them, twirling her wand between her fingers.

"Little Cissy, always the good girl," Bella had taunted. "I'd like to see you try and stop me." Narcissa's heart had raced, and she wished that they hadn't ventured so far from the adults.

"Bella, stop it!" Andromeda had cried and stood up with Regulus in her arms. "I'm going to tell Mother, and you're going to be in so much trouble when she finds out that you're doing magic." With that, Andy had trotted out of the rose garden, holding Regulus tightly to her chest.

"Fool," Bella had said, eyes following Andromeda. "And what are you going to do to stop me, Cissy?" she'd added as she turned her attention back to Narcissa.

"Bella," she'd said apprehensively, "I know that you're upset about having to marry Rodolphus, but please don't-"

"I am not UPSET," Bella had yelled, eyes flashing. She'd always hated being called _upset_ or _emotional_ , but Narcissa was only seven and desperate to stop her sister before she did something dangerous.

"Then stop lighting the bushes on fire! Sirius is scared," Narcissa had said, indicating Sirius, who was watching Bella with anxious eyes from his cousin's lap.

"Little Sirius," Bella had said in a horrible mock baby voice that sent shivers up Narcissa's spine, and she advanced even closer to them. "Are you _scared_?" And with that, she'd flicked her wand at the rose bush right next to them, which caught fire immediately. Sirius had wailed, turning his face to Narcissa's chest, and she watched with horror as Bella laughed and pointed her wand in their direction.

"BELLA!" Narcissa had shouted before closing her eyes and trying to summon protective magic as hard as she could; out of her three sisters, she'd always had the most control over her untrained, infantile magical abilities. Sure enough, she'd felt something emanating from her body, and she focused on the tree that was slightly behind Bella, envisioning one of the branches coming loose and levitating over her sister's head. She'd closed her eyes as tightly as she could, summoning the tree branch with all of her might, and opened them to see said branch floating slowly away from the tree and toward Bella's head. From underneath the tree, the hidden blonde boy had stared open-mouthed at the scene unfolding before him.

"AHHH!" Bella had screeched upon noticing the levitating branch that was slowly but surely lowering itself over her, and she raced through the rose garden back toward the party.

"Cissy!" Sirius had exclaimed after daring to remove his head from her chest. "How'd you do that?" Narcissa had merely shrugged, a proud smile forming on her lips.

"Yes, how _did_ you do that?" a new voice had asked suddenly, and Narcissa had stood up quickly to see the blonde boy emerge from beyond the shadows of the tree. "You don't have a wand, do you? You look younger than me, and I haven't even started Hogwarts yet!"

"No, I don't have a wand," Narcissa had replied quietly, suddenly shy. The boy was only a head or so taller than her, with his platinum locks tied back in a short ponytail. His dark gray eyes stared at her appraisingly, as though he were very interested in her, but determined to appear nonchalant. He seemed so sure of himself.

"Then, how did you do that?" he'd asked again. "That was brilliant! I can't control my magic like that." It was then that she'd realized that he wasn't arrogant; he was shy, just like her.

"I've been working on controlling it," she'd admitted as he reached her and they stood facing each other. "My sister Bella- she was the one lighting the bushes on fire- she can be a bully, so I've been practicing things like that."

"What's your name?" he'd asked suddenly. "I'm Lucius Malfoy," he'd added quickly, as if remembering that he was a Pureblood gentleman.

"Oh!" she'd exclaimed, eyes going wider than usual as comprehension dawned on her. "I'm Narcissa Black." She'd half wondered if she should curtsy, but decided against it. "I like your house! It's _huge_ ," she'd added with a smile.

"Thank you," he'd said, almost reluctantly. "It's kind of lonely, though. We just came back from France, and it's only the two of us. I don't know anyone here, and my father is always away doing business, so it's usually just me and the house elves."

"Oh," Narcissa had replied, feeling a strange tugging at her seven-year-old heartstrings. Something made her want to reach out and pet the boy's hair. "I'm sorry, that doesn't sound like fun. I live in a house with my father, mother, and two sisters, _and_ my uncle, aunt, and two cousins live in an attached house next door. There's always someone around so I never get lonely, but there's never any quiet."

"That sounds nice, though," Lucius had said glumly, "I think I would like that."

"You should come over and play!" she'd blurted a second later. "Our Rosier cousins come over all the time, and you could come, too. We could all play in the back garden!" Suddenly his face had broken out in a huge smile, and she felt as though the first rays of the sun had touched her as it poked its head out from behind a dark cloud.

"I'd really like that," he'd said quickly, trying to stop smiling, "Thank you, Narcissa."

"Of course," she'd beamed at him before offering him one hand and Sirius the other. "Come, let's go back to find everyone else! I'll bet Bella is in HUGE trouble.")

"Yes," said Narcissa to Andromeda and Sirius, as they stood in the first floor corridor of Hogwarts in the present day. "I do believe that. Lucius is kind to me, and he will always be."

"But, he's on the wrong side," Andromeda protested again, "and you're going to follow his lead! It can only end badly for you, Cissy, unless you break away now. Please come with me and Ted." Narcissa looked deep into her sister's eyes and saw all of her love and protection bared before her.

"I'm sorry, Andy," replied Narcissa in a soft voice, "but I can't. You've chosen your path, and I do understand that you love Ted, despite all that I've said, so I respect your decision. But, I too have made my choice- I made it a long time ago at that garden party. Ever since I met Lucius, I've known that we belong together, and I will be by his side no matter what happens. You need to respect my decision, as well." Sirius, hovering awkwardly in the background, shifted his eyes back-and-forth from Narcissa to Andromeda.

"Cissy, don't be foolish. I know that you love, but can't you see that he's headed down a dangerous path? Do you really support-"

"Enough," Narcissa cut her off sharply. "We are not discussing this anymore. I'm only as foolish as you are; love is the strongest thing in this world, and we have both chosen to follow our hearts."

"Fine," said Andromeda in an unsteady voice. Her eyes flashed pain at Narcissa, but she reached out to embrace her, regardless. "Best of luck with everything, Cissy. I'll always love you, no matter where our choices take us."

"Goodbye, Andy," Narcissa replied through wet eyes as she hugged her sister in return. "I'll always love you, too. Even if I can't write you letters, I promise that I'll think of you often. I really do wish you luck and happiness with," here she hesitated, " _Ted_." And with that, the two Black sisters parted ways, Narcissa off to the Slytherin dungeons to seek out Lucius and Andromeda off to Ted Tonks's Hufflepuff dormitory. Sirius stood in the spot that they left him, wondering when the winds of change would shift and what they would bring with them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Lucius gets the best birthday present ever ;)

A week later the term ended, and all students boarded the Hogwarts Express to make their journeys homeward. Narcissa stopped at Number Ten, Grimmauld Place for only a day before she planned to Floo to Malfoy Manor with her summer wardrobe in tow.

"Goodbye, Father," she said quietly as she stood in the study doorway. Bellatrix, who had picked Narcissa up so that she could side-along apparate her to the house and help her pack, was busy with something upstairs.

"Hm?" Cygnus Black replied, lifting his head up from where it had fallen on his desk. "Where are you going?" He squinted at his youngest daughter, as if trying to ascertain who she was. Narcissa bit down hard on her lower lip.

"I'm going to France with the Malfoys for the summer. Remember, Father? I wrote you a letter months ago."

"Hm," he mumbled again. "Have a nice time." And with that, he poured himself a glass of the Firewhisky next to him.

"Thank you," murmured Narcissa, slipping out of the study and closing the door behind her. She headed into the parlor, where their fireplace was, and waited for Bella, who trotted in briskly several minutes later. She was clutching a piece of parchment in her right fist.

"Cissy," she said unceremoniously. "Change of plans; we are apparating to my home, and then you will Floo to Malfoy Manor afterward."

"But, why?" began Narcissa, but before she could finish, Bella had grabbed hold of her arm and apparated them, along with her luggage, to Lestrange Manor. Fighting off a wave of nausea, Narcissa looked around the gloomy front parlor, averting her eyes from a particularly sinister-looking, shriveled hand located on the mantel. "Bella, why?" she repeated.

"Because," Bellatrix replied, thrusting the parchment at her sister, "I found this in Mother's bedroom. She left it for us." Narcissa, confused, looked into her eldest sister's eyes before smoothing the paper and beginning to read.

"'Dear Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa,'" she whispered aloud, "'My darling daughters, I am writing to tell you that my time upon this earth has come to a close. As you well know, my marriage to your father has not been a happy one; I was given to him at the tender age of seventeen in an attempt to unite the Black and Rosier families. It was seen as a perfect match between two of the Purest families in our society, but it was not a love match by any means. Your father is, by nature, a cruel and selfish man, and I regret all of the violence that he has inflicted upon us. However, my union with him was something that was seen as necessary, and so I followed the Pureblood tenets that I had been taught. I wish for your sakes that I had given you a better example, but this may be the exact marital situation that you find yourselves in. I raised the three of you to be the best Pureblood ladies that you can be, and I hope that you have taken my teachings to heart. Bellatrix, you are a strong and fierce warrior, and although you did not wish to marry Rodolphus Lestrange, I have no doubt that you will make the best of your situation. Andromeda, you are a determined and unique individual, and I hope that you take your happiness where you find it. Narcissa, you are my sweet and genteel Pureblood lady, and I am sure that you will lead a happy and successful life in Pureblood society. Daughters, I have written this letter to apologize for the terrible things that you have seen and suffered under your father, and for the draining of our fortune. I can no longer be his victim, and I have taken it upon myself to slowly end my life by taking a nightly concoction of Hemlock and the Essence of Death. By the time you find this letter, I will be dead, and the three of you will be alone in the world. I apologize again for your father and everything that you have undergone, but I have such faith in each of you and your future paths. Darling Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa- all my love. Truly and Forever, Your Loving Mother, Druella Rosier Black.'" Narcissa's head shot up as she read the last word, quickly locking eyes with Bella, who made a strangled noise.

"So, she _chose_ to abandon us," she hissed, her dark eyes glinting with malice. Narcissa noticed suddenly how thin she looked, how pale and almost sickly her skin was, and how the gleam in her eyes seemed maniacal.

"He was killing her slowly," breathed Narcissa, handing the letter back to her sister. "Bella, are you all right? You look-"

"What?" Bella snapped, "How do I look, Cissy? _Upset_?"

"No, you look almost ill. I- just- are you-"

"I'm _fine_. Aren't you at all bothered that our _dear_ mother just watched Father torture and abuse all of us, and then _decided_ to end her life and leave us to fend for ourselves? Especially _you_ : you're not even out of Hogwarts yet," spat Bella, ready to expose her claws. Narcissa felt her heart surge at her sister's show of protectiveness for her, but she also felt wary of the geyser full of anger that had built inside Bella and was ready to erupt.

"I know," said Narcissa softly, "but how much can we really blame her, Bella? She was forced into that marriage and suffered so much. And I will be all right; I'm a Black, after all." She lifted her chin in a resolute manner.

"Fine," conceded Bella, stuffing the letter into her pocket, "I know you will be, Cissy. And you'll always have me." She smiled at her, which looked a bit like a tiger baring its teeth, but Narcissa patted her on the arm gratefully nonetheless.

"I should probably Floo to Malfoy Manor now; Lucius is expecting me," she said.

"Goodbye, Cissy. Have a nice summer with Malfoy, and if you come across any trouble just send me an Owl. Don't worry about our father and the family fortune, I am going to take care of everything," Bella said in a strange tone as Narcissa took a handful of Floo powder.

"Don't do anything too rash, Bella. And do be careful! Goodbye," called Narcissa over her shoulder. "Malfoy Manor," she said a second later and disappeared into the emerald flames.

* * *

The summer passed in a haze of walks through French vineyards, late night swims at secluded beaches, and kisses in hidden spots throughout the grounds of the Malfoy chateau. Narcissa, trying her very best to forget her unhappy family life and her mother's apparent suicide, vowed to be at her happiest, and the various dresses and jewelry that Lucius insisted on buying for her only helped. Abraxas Malfoy, as his son had accurately predicted, was away on business for most of the summer, but was perfectly pleasant to Narcissa whenever he was present. He was a foreboding figure, and Lucius spoke at length about his neglectful tendencies as a father, but he liked Narcissa and was kind to her.

"Goodbye, children," said Abraxas the second week that they were in France. "I'm off to Scandinavia to meet with the Financial Wizarding Council, but I will be back on Sunday. Enjoy yourselves- but not too much," he flashed a warning look at Lucius.

"Goodbye, Father. The same to you," drawled Lucius, rolling his eyes in Narcissa's direction. She suppressed a giggle.

"Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you again for having me this summer, " she said sweetly.

"Our pleasure, Narcissa. It's nice to have a female presence in our lives again, especially one so lovely as yourself." With that, Abraxas disapparated to Scandinavia, and Lucius made a gagging sound.

"Merlin help me," he groaned, dropping his fork on his empty breakfast plate. "It's not appropriate for him to _flirt_ with you."

"Oh, Lucius," said Narcissa, smoothing a strand of his hair back, "he's not _flirting_ with me; he's just being kind. Anyway, when is that _damn_ bird going to be here with my OWLs?"

"Cissa," Lucius said in a disapproving tone, tugging her into his lap, "don't you know that _proper_ Pureblood ladies never swear?"

"They also never snog at the breakfast table," she giggled as he placed feather light kisses all over her face.

"You're right," he purred, standing up with her in his strong arms, "perhaps we should move this to a more _fitting_ location." But, before he could move her anywhere, there was a loud pop and Abraxas appeared in the dining room again.

"I forgot my briefcase," he said by way of explanation, raising a white-blonde eyebrow at Lucius, who hastily returned Narcissa to a standing position.

"Oh good. We just finished with breakfast and are going on a walk," said Lucius, dragging Narcissa out the double French doors into the garden, where they both burst into laughter as soon as they were alone.

"That was a close call," smiled Narcissa as Lucius positioned her safely against a large willow tree and began kissing her again.

"Typical Father, always sticking his nose in where he isn't wanted," he said when they surfaced for air a minute later.

"Oh yes, can you imagine him apparating back into the dining room of the French chateau that _he_ owns? The nerve," said Narcissa drily, her arms twining around Lucius's neck.

"I'm glad you agree," he replied and they were off kissing for another twenty minutes.

"Lucius," said Narcissa the next day as they lay out under another tree in the garden with a bottle of wine and a tattered copy of _Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

"Yes?" Lucius asked, his head in her lap. "Cissa, for the life of me, I cannot understand why you like reading to me from that children's book."

"Because," she replied, narrowing her cerulean eyes at him, "you said that no one read these stories to you as a child, and that is a tragedy. So, I'm making up for it now!" She stroked a stray piece of hair off his forehead, and although he rolled his eyes at her, he also reached for her hand and kissed her palm.

"Now, what were you going to say?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"Isn't your birthday tomorrow?"

"Yes, it is tomorrow, but I don't care for birthdays, and my father isn't even here for it. You don't need to do anything for me, Cissa."

"Oh, but I want to! And you got me that lovely necklace for my birthday. Seventeen! This is your coming-of-age birthday, Lucius; we have to celebrate it properly."

"Fine," he sighed, kissing the inside of her wrist, "we can celebrate."

"I have the perfect day in mind," she smiled down at him before beginning to read _The Deathly Hallows_ aloud, lulling him into a silent haze.

* * *

Narcissa, always meticulous, had planned Lucius's birthday down to the last second. They spent the day picnicking at a nearby lavender farm, then sunbathing along the southern beaches, and ending with a candlelit dinner in the back garden with enchanted fairy lights.

"Was it a good birthday?" she asked him fondly as they reclined together on a chaise lounge on the veranda after dinner. He pressed a delicate kiss to her temple.

"The best birthday," he said softly, and she turned in his arms to find those stormy gray eyes that she loved so much.

"I haven't given you your present yet, though," she whispered, and he smirked at her.

"Oh?" Before he could say anything else, Narcissa stood up and offered him her hand.

"Follow me," she murmured with a mischievous light in her eyes, and led him up the back staircase to her bedroom. "Muffliato, Colloportus," she added with a flick of her wand as she closed the door behind them. The setting sun peeking through the windows cast a soft twilit glow over the white and blue bedroom, and Narcissa took it in appreciatively before dropping her wand on the bedside table.

"So?" Lucius arched an eyebrow expectantly. "Where's my present?"

"Here," whispered Narcissa, blushing in a sudden rush of shyness before unzipping her white eyelet sundress and letting it pool around her ankles.

"You mean-" he began, but before he could finish, she had taken a deep breath and moved to stand flush against him, capturing his lips in a kiss. His right hand immediately went to the back of her head, deepening the kiss, and his left hand went around her waist.

"Yes," she replied several seconds later, her trembling fingers unbuttoning his shirt. They moved to the bed together in a whirl of little kisses and caresses, and the gradual unbuttoning of clothing. Finally, they stood body-to-body, clad only in silken green shorts and white lacy underpants and bra.

"Are you sure?" Lucius whispered, stroking her back softly with one hand, the other plunging deep into her long, golden locks.

"Oh, yes," replied Narcissa, shyness now forgotten as she kissed him yet again and pulled down his shorts.

"Cissa, I love you," he said quietly as he unclasped her bra and placed a gentle kiss to her chest. Then he slid her underpants down and they faced each other, souls and bodies bared.

"I love you, too," she smiled as he coaxed her to lie down on the luxurious queen sized bed, following her so that he could cover her body with his. Suddenly his mouth was everywhere; dropping gentle kisses on her cheeks, her neck, her collarbone, and then to her chest again. She sucked at the base of his neck while running her hands through his hair and loosening his ponytail so that platinum blonde sheets fell around his face.

"Mm," murmured Lucius as he continued to kiss her, moving lower and lower on her body. It felt as though she had shooting stars coursing through her veins, and her body cried out for him to touch her in _that_ spot. He acquiesced quickly, responding to her cues, and she arched her back off the bed as he brought her to the brink. She, in turn, stoked his fire, and eventually they were matched in their levels of passion.

"Ready?" he whispered, hot breath against her ear, and she nodded wordlessly, praying to Merlin that it wouldn't hurt too terribly. He made sure that they were chest-to-chest again and plundered her lips with his own before sliding into her; she squirmed for a bit in discomfort, but eventually grew used to him, and he slipped in even further. Before long, they began moving against each other, finding a rhythm as naturally as could be. Narcissa felt complete adoration surging through her body as they rocked and rolled against each other, instinctive knowledge carrying them through; it was as though they had been created for each other like lock and key, and were only now returning to their perfect fit. Eventually, she felt her climax approaching as they climbed higher and higher, and she dove off the precipice of their shared passion as he whispered her name lovingly; he followed right after, holding her impossibly close for several seconds before he collapsed in a breathless groan upon her chest.

"Happy birthday," she murmured moments later, stroking his hair gently. "Did you like your present?"

"Oh yes," he purred, pressing a kiss to her chest. "It's the best present that I've ever received. And the best birthday celebration, as well."

"I'm glad," she smiled, and then in a rush of words, "you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." And he was.


	15. Chapter 15

The first of September came sooner than Narcissa wished it would. She spent the rest of her summer in a blissful daze with Lucius, and was loath to return to real life. Several weeks after his birthday, her OWL results arrived.

"Open it!" Lucius said after Narcissa had wasted five precious minutes staring at the tawny owl that was perched in the dining room window while chewing on her bottom lip.

"Fine," she breathed as she tore open the envelope with shaking fingers and read, "Astronomy- E, Care of Magical Creatures- E, Charms- O, Defense Against the Dark Arts- E, Divination- E, Herbology- E, History of Magic- A, Potions- A, Transfiguration- E." She glanced up at Lucius with a large smile on her face.

"That's excellent, Cissa!" he beamed at her, kissing her until she flushed pink, "I knew you'd do well. You've always been top at Charms." When they went to Diagon Alley for a quick day of shopping, he bought her a kitten from The Magical Menagerie as an OWLs present.

"Thank you," she exclaimed repeatedly, stroking the soft amber fur of her new kitten, "I've never had my own pet! We only have Morgana, but she's on her last legs." She named the kitten Marseille, for a particularly enjoyable day that they'd spent in the port city together. Marseille supervised their packing, diving into each of their trunks after they'd placed neatly folded robes in them, and mussing the clothing up as he chased his long tail around and around.

"Cissy!" Cecilia Parkinson screamed as soon as Lucius and Narcissa appeared at King's Cross Station with a pop after he had side-along apparated her. Fighting the annoyingly familiar waves of nausea, Narcissa swallowed a rising need to vomit and greeted her best friend warmly. They embraced as Evan Rosier strode over to Lucius, ready to begin the Quidditch heckling.

"I hope you're ready for the season," said Evan as the group floated toward the train.

"I'm _always_ ready. I hope _you're_ ready, Rosier, because you're going to have to retry out just to prove your worth," Lucius sneered, hoisting Narcissa's trunk up the train steps.

"And then we went to Marseille for the day, and all of the other cities around there. We also spent a weekend in Paris; the French version of Diagon Alley is _amazing_ ," Narcissa chattered away to Cecilia, cutting across Evan's retort to Lucius.

"I am _so_ jealous," replied Cecilia, watching as Evan placed her trunk on the top rack of an empty compartment. "You'll have to give me even more details when you're done with Prefect patrol." She sank into a seat by the window and pulled out a copy of _Witch Weekly_ , ready to occupy herself for the next few hours.

"Undoubtedly," Narcissa said, lingering as Evan and Lucius waited by the door for her. "You boys go on ahead to the Prefect compartment; I'll be there in a minute."

"What's up?" asked Cecilia after Evan and Lucius had sauntered down the corridor and left them alone. Narcissa plunged into the narrative of her mother's goodbye note and the reason for her death.

"Bella said that she would take care of Father and our fortune, but I'm not sure what that means. I half expected to receive a letter from her this summer saying that she'd murdered him, but no such luck. Her letters only contained mundane complaints about Rodolphus, and she did write one to Lucius with yet another date for a meeting with _him_ ," she finished breathlessly. The day that Lucius had received that letter had been tense.

("Is that from Bella?" Narcissa had asked, looking up from her croissant as a familiar snowy white owl landed on the breakfast table, sending the jam flying.

"Yes," he'd said, after hesitating for a second. He opened the letter and read it half under the table, away from her prying eyes.

"What is it? And why are you hiding it from me?" she'd demanded, running a finger over the Lestrange family owl's downy feathers.

"You know what it is, Cissa," he'd said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not hiding it; here, read it if you like." He held out the parchment to her, and her eyes raced over the familiar spiky lettering. It was as she'd thought; the date, time, and place for a September meeting in Hogsmeade with the Dark Lord.

"Are you going?" she'd asked disdainfully a minute later.

"Yes. When I first asked if you minded me joining, you said no!"

"Are you _joining_ already?"

"No! Cissa, I told you; he won't accept anyone until they're out of school. Anyway, my role would be purely political. I have the influence that he needs, and once I join the Ministry of Magic, I'll have access to many different wizards and witches."

"Just be careful," she'd said through gritted teeth, buttering her croissant aggressively.)

"Merlin!" Cecilia exclaimed when Narcissa was done speaking. "I'm so sorry about your mother; that is terrible. And as for the meeting, I _know_ , Evan received the same letter. I suppose we just have to accept that they're going to join?"

"I suppose so," agreed Narcissa grumpily. "Anyway, I should go join the other Prefects. Can you watch Marseille for me?" She thrust the kitten at Cecilia who oohed and ahhed over him; he tried to free himself from the green silk ribbon that Narcissa had tied round his neck in honor of Slytherin. "See you later, Cecilia. Goodbye, Marseille! Be good while Mother isn't here," she added in a baby voice as she left the compartment.

* * *

The first few months of school passed rather uneventfully for Narcissa. She missed Andromeda's presence in spite of herself, and half wondered if her sister would ever bother writing her a letter, even though she had explicitly said that she wouldn't communicate with her.

"Well, _I've_ had plenty of letters from her," Sirius bragged to his cousin toward the very end of September. He puffed out his chest importantly as his posse of friends stared at him in an impressed manner. Narcissa fought the urge to give him a good kick.

"Good for you, cousin," replied Narcissa coolly as she strolled by his table in the library, on her way to meet Evan and Cecilia so that they could begin their difficult Transfiguration essays. Sirius tried to say something else, but Narcissa held up her hand.

"Evan," she said nearly two hours later after their quills had ceased scratching, "when is your meeting with the Dark Lord? I thought it was in September."

"Sh! Cissy!" yelped Evan, turning in his seat to ensure that no one had overheard. "You can't just _yell_ something like that!"

"I was hardly _yelling_ ," Narcissa snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Why don't you ask Lucius?" he asked, rolling up his essay.

"It's rather a sore subject between us," she admitted somewhat bitterly. She just couldn't keep the disapproval from creeping into her voice whenever she asked Lucius about it now and he was starting to grow irritated with her, claiming that she had originally said that she didn't mind if he joined the dark cult. Of course she _had_ said that, to be fair, but wasn't she just following her mother's tenets? She was trying to be the perfect ladylike Pureblood companion, one who carried herself proudly, showed no emotions, always presented herself at her best, gave but never took, and never overstayed her welcome. However, Narcissa was starting to find that the older she grew and the more she saw of the world, the less she wanted to fall into the role of a Pureblood wife, a beautiful object that stood silently next to her husband and supported all of his decisions. Shouldn't she have a voice too? Wasn't she an individual with her own thoughts and beliefs?

"Cissy?" said Cecilia, shooting her friend a strange look. Narcissa came back to the present with a start, realizing that her mind had been wandering.

"Yes?"

"Evan just said that the meeting is rescheduled for the first Hogsmeade visit."

"Oh, right, sorry! I think I'm a little tired from all this writing. That makes sense; so it's the first weekend of October, then?"

"Yes," Evan nodded. He surreptitiously reached for Cecilia's hand under the table, and Narcissa decided suddenly that it was time to leave.

"I'm going to turn in; see you both tomorrow," she said lightly, shoving books into her school bag and then slinging it over her shoulder. Evan and Cecilia bid her goodnight in unison. As Narcissa strode back toward the dungeons, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning quickly, her long hair swaying attractively over one shoulder, she came face-to-face with Lucius.

"Lucius! What have you been up to?" she asked, immediately noticing that his eyes were like thunderclouds.

"Reading a letter from my _dear_ father," he sniffed, softening despite himself as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"What did he want?" wondered Narcissa, now brushing a strand of his silver-blonde hair behind his ear. For once he wasn't wearing it tied back with a ribbon, and she thought he looked attractively disheveled.

"To inform me that I had better not be considering joining the rising dark cult," he replied, rolling his eyes. Narcissa sucked in a breath, silently agreeing with Abraxas. "He said that if I become a part of it, he has every intention of disowning me and making one of my bloody French cousins the heir."

" _Why_?" she exclaimed.

"Because he disapproves of the cult; he agrees with the belief that Purebloods are supreme, but he is a very traditional man and doesn't want the Malfoy name attached to some radical new group; those were his words, not mine," scowled Lucius. "It's not as though I would declare to the world that I had joined! Clearly, I would be _discreet_ , and my main focus in life would still be moving upward through the Ministry."

"Hm," said Narcissa. "Well, I can't say that he doesn't have a point."

"Oh?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. His eyes stayed stormy, daring her to continue.

"I can understand where he's coming from; he probably doesn't want you to blemish the Malfoy name or lose any of the fortune to a cause that might not succeed," she said carefully.

"Might not succeed? Cissa, what are you talking about? You don't think that the Dark Lord will be able to ensure that Purebloods are the reigning authorities in the wizarding world?"

"I just," here she hesitated, her heart screaming out to her that Lucius was already brainwashed by the cult and he hadn't even _joined_ yet, "I just think that your father wants you to be careful, as do I." Her oceanic eyes bore into his; she could almost feel the sparks flying at her.

"As you've said _multiple_ times now, Narcissa," he snapped. "I'm going to join, whether you like it or not. If you don't, then maybe you should find someone who will be more _careful_."

"Excuse _me_?" she said in a low voice, feeling as though she'd been slapped across the face. Lucius had _never_ spoken to her like that before.

"I thought that we agreed about our purity beliefs," he replied in a dangerously quiet voice, "and that coming from the Black family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, one of the _oldest_ Pureblood families in our society, you valued the same things that I did. However, I'm starting to think that I was wrong."

"I _do_ agree with you; I think that blood purity is very important, and I would _never_ associate myself with someone that wasn't in our society. But, I don't understand why you want to put yourself in danger by joining-"

"Cissa, _what_ danger? I've told you a _hundred_ times; I'm only going to be a political member. I'm not going to be like Bella, who takes joy in cursing and murdering Mudbloods. I just want to help contribute to a safer society for our future generations where the things that we value will reign supreme," he cut her off heatedly.

"Fine. You've made yourself very clear," she snapped, getting ready to storm away from him, but he grabbed her arm roughly.

"Do _not_ walk away when we are in the middle of an argument," he hissed.

"Do _not_ tell me what to do, Lucius Malfoy! You are not the boss of me, and I am free to go anywhere I like." She stuck her chin out defiantly, wrenching her arm away from him, even though her heart was beating a mile a minute. Narcissa had always known that he had this side to him, which she'd seen when he bullied other classmates, but he had only ever been kind and gentle with her.

"You're right," replied Lucius after several tense minutes where they stared penetratingly into each other's eyes. He was suddenly reminded of the little girl at his garden party who levitated a tree branch to ward off her bullying older sister and protect her cousin. _That_ was why he'd fallen in love with her, he remembered, because he didn't want some pretty Pureblood that simply yessed his decisions all the time; he wanted an opinionated and spirited partner. "I'm sorry; I should never speak to you that way."

"Really?" faltered Narcissa, but then she got a hold of herself. "I mean, you're right. You _should_ never speak to me that way! We are _equals_ , Lucius; I am not your subordinate. And if you don't like that and you don't want someone that's going to speak her mind, then you should find someone else." She lifted her chin triumphantly, flashing her blue eyes at him, and he immediately wrapped his strong arms around her lithe figure.

"I agree, Cissa. We are equals, and I will never speak to you like my inferior again. I _only_ want someone that will speak her mind, and I only want you," he said, before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She responded eagerly, thanking Merlin that Lucius was Lucius and not someone like her father. They would always be all right: she just knew it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who is still following along! This has been quite a journey :) I hope you're all enjoying!!

In early December, Narcissa received a letter at breakfast from the Black family owl, Morgana. Surprised to see her father's handwriting on the envelope, she tore it open and scanned the parchment quickly. Her father's hand had evidently been shaking as he had written the letter, undoubtedly due to alcohol consumption, and she strained to read it.

"Evan!" she shrieked several minutes later, her face flushing. Her cousin, who was sitting diagonally across from her, was busy reading an identical letter that had arrived for him.

"Cissy!" he responded vehemently, snapping his head up as blue eyes met blue eyes. Without another word, the two strode out of the hall, leaving both Cecilia and Lucius gaping at their retreating backs.

"No," said Narcissa immediately once they had found an empty classroom and charmed the door so that it was locked.

"Absolutely not," Evan agreed, leaning against a desk, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Narcissa found a seat on the top of another desk, crossing her legs in a supremely unladylike manner.

"How could this happen?"

"Well," said Evan, "my letter said that our fathers decided that to keep the Pureblood lines going strong, so a Rosier and Black union was once again needed."

"But, we're _first_ cousins," Narcissa said, feeling nauseated. "Isn't that against the law?"

"Not in the Pureblood wizarding community," replied Evan, a mirthless smirk fleeting across his face. "Regardless, we can't get married! I'm with Cecilia and you're-"

"Most definitely going to marry Lucius one day. This _cannot_ happen, Evan."

"Of course it can't, Cissy. I'll write my father a letter explaining the circumstances, and I'm sure both he and your father will understand. The Parkinsons _and_ the Malfoys are members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, after all. We will still be keeping our bloodlines pure."

"But, Evan," whispered Narcissa, holding out her own letter to him, "my father wrote that they've agreed to the marriage because of a bet."

"What bet?" he said, frowning as he started to read.

"They were gambling, and my father lost to your father; apparently my father had bet our _house_ ," she explained, and he stared at her in horror. "But, then your father said that he would settle for something else, so my father offered my hand in marriage. If we refuse to wed, your father will come for Ten Grimmauld Place, and my father would never allow that to happen." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as the realization that her father had bet _his daughter_ in a game of wizarding cards washed over her.

"Merlin, Cissy!" exclaimed Evan once he was done reading. "We _can't_ let this happen."

"I don't know what other choice we have! My father would much rather lose me in a bet than our property. And he doesn't approve of the Malfoys, even though they _are_ members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He told Bella recently that he doubts their blood purity because they refuse to inbreed to ensure that their blood never gets diluted," said Narcissa in a rush. 

"Well," Evan said after a long pause in which they stared wordlessly at each other, "I'm going to write to Father and explain the circumstances. I'll ask him to reconsider the whole bet, so that you won't lose your house even if we don't marry."

"All right," she replied, still feeling very uncertain. "I don't know if it'll work though."

"We'll make it work," he reassured her, squeezing her hand lightly before leaving the classroom and heading back to the Great Hall. Narcissa followed slowly in his wake, her mind spinning around like a Muggle toy top.

* * *

Evan didn't hear back from his father until the day before the holidays began. The remaining Slytherins were gathered in the common room playing games of Exploding Snap and sipping stolen Butterbeers. Narcissa was seated in between Lucius and Cecilia on the velvet green couch, Evan was in an armchair to Cecilia's left, Regulus, who had thankfully been sorted into Slytherin in September, was on a footstool to Evan's left, and the four Greengrass sisters were in their own little huddle by the fireplace.

"Look!" Evan cried suddenly as the Rosier family bird tapped its beak against the frosty glass panes of the window.

"Is it from your father?" exclaimed Narcissa, pulling her hand from Lucius's hair, which she had been stroking for the past half hour, and bolting over to the window with her cousin.

"What?" Lucius, Cecilia, and Regulus asked in a confused manner; Evan and Narcissa hadn't bothered to enlighten them.

"Yes," Evan replied breathlessly as his eyes danced across the letter, which was lengthy and continued on to several additional pieces of parchment. "Cissy, it's all right! He said that they've called off the bet. Apparently your father is hardly in his right mind anymore, so my father said that he doesn't feel right holding him to the bet. Thank Merlin!"

"Yes, thank Merlin!" echoed Narcissa, reading the letter as he handed it to her. "I was so anxious that we had no choice."

"No choice in what? What are you two talking about?" Lucius drawled, retying his hair in a neat ponytail. Cecilia's eyes were wide as she stared at Evan questioningly.

"Oh, nothing," replied Narcissa, once she was done scanning the parchment. "There was some trouble with our fathers, but everything has been resolved now." She smiled warmly at Lucius, returning to sit next to him.

"Evan, what is this all about?" asked Cecilia, rising as Narcissa sank into the deep cushions. "Why are you keeping secrets from me?" She made a pretty little pout at Evan, who jammed the letter into his pocket.

"Cecilia, we're not keeping secrets from anyone; this was a Black and Rosier family matter, so we just didn't-"

"Cissa," Lucius whispered in Narcissa's ear as Evan stammered on. "Come with me, dearest." And he stood regally, offering her a hand before he led her smoothly from the common room and up to the Seventh Year Boys' dormitory.

"This is nice!" remarked Narcissa appreciatively as she looked around the green and silver room, so similar to the girls' dormitories that she had occupied her entire school career. "I've never been in a boys' dormitory before."

"Never?" asked Lucius, moving closer to her.

"No; why, have you ever been in the _girls'_ dormitories?" she said, narrowing her blue eyes suspiciously even as he snaked an arm around her waist and she relaxed into his touch.

"Of course not," he drawled, his signature smirk flashing as he pressed his lips to the base of her throat. She struggled not to let out a moan, her body already moving closer to his in response. They had struggled to find proper alone time the entire term; returning from their summer in France, where they had had the entire chateau to themselves, had been pure torture. Rendezvous in broom closets and empty classrooms just weren’t cutting it.

"Lucius," Narcissa hummed against his chest, where she had buried her face so that she could breathe in his familiar scent.

"Hm?" he asked, running deft fingers through her long braid as he untied it so that her blonde waves could flow freely over her shoulders and back.

` "Why are we up here?" She raised her chin, eyes finding his.

"Because I wanted to give you a proper goodbye before the holidays," Lucius replied, giving her petite waist a squeeze, "and I also wanted to know what you and Evan were hiding."

"I'm going to see you in five days," said Narcissa, carefully evading his second point. "The day after Christmas, I'll Floo right to the Manor, as you said. Then we can spend every second of the remainder of the holidays together!" _Provided that there are no more meetings with the Dark Lord_ , she thought bitterly. After the October meeting in Hogsmeade, where the Slytherin boys were told they could not become Death Eaters, a new term that Narcissa had learned from Lucius after pressing him for details after the meeting, until they had finished their seventh year at Hogwarts. Other than that meeting, there had appeared to be little to no contact between the Dark Lord and the Slytherin boys, and Lucius had been much attentive to Narcissa, putting her slightly more at ease.

"Yes, but I'll still miss you, Cissa," Lucius said, capturing her lips in a slow and passionate kiss. "And _what_ is the big secret between you and Evan?" he added as they emerged for air several minutes later.

"Oh, fine," she gave in, now intoxicated by the smell, taste, and touch of him. She wanted more of him _now_ ; she felt as though she could barely wait until her visit to Malfoy Manor. "My father lost to Evan's father gambling, and he bet him our _house_."

"Merlin, Cissa!"

"I know, and it gets worse. My father didn't want to lose our house, so he offered something much more expendable: me."

"What? What do you mean he offered _you_?"

"He offered my hand in marriage to Evan, also claiming that another Black-Rosier union would keep the bloodlines even purer, and Evan's father accepted."

"No! But, Cissa, you can't-"

"I _know_ , Lucius. Evan and I were horrified, so he wrote back to his father to explain that he is very much with Cecilia and I am very much with you, so could he please reconsider the bet. And Evan's father, recognizing that my father is not exactly in his right mind anymore, called it off, thank MERLIN," Narcissa finished with a big breath.

"Yes, thank Merlin is right!" agreed Lucius vehemently, tugging Narcissa even closer to him. "You _cannot_ marry Evan."

"No, I definitely can't. Especially as we are _first_ cousins," she said with a dry smile.

"And for another reason, as well."

"Oh?" she cocked an eyebrow. "And what other reason would that be, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I think you know," he purred, kissing her again until she saw stars.

"I think I do," she whispered after they broke apart, stroking his cheek. "I think I do."

"NARCISSA!" Cygnus Black bellowed from his study the next morning. Narcissa had just trotted through the front door of Ten Grimmauld Place after walking all the way home from King's Cross Station, dragging her trunk behind her. Lucius had offered to side-along apparate her, but she refused, not minding the exercise and the opportunity to examine her own thoughts.

"Father?" she said politely, tripping through the dark and dilapidated front hall of the house, her eyes straining to see through the gloom. Her father sounded relatively sober at the very least, she thought as she entered his study, which was lit by several dying candles.

"I've just had a letter from the Rosiers," he growled without so much as a hello. His large face glared up at her, and she was shocked at how much worse he seemed to look since she had seen him briefly last June. She wondered if the house elves were taking care of him at all now.

"Oh?" she asked, fingering her wand out of habit.

"Yes, Rosier has informed me that you and Evan will not be marrying because he is with the Parkinson girl," hissed her father, "and _you_ are with the Malfoy boy."

"Yes, Father, but you knew that Lucius and I were dating. I told you when I went to spend last summer with them in France and I-"

"Over my dead body will one of my children marry a _Malfoy_ ," he cut her off sharply.

"But, Father," she protested, "the Malfoys are part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight!"

"Like _Hell_ they are," he hissed. "The Malfoys are _new_ blood, and they think nothing of mixing with Half-Bloods."

"They are a Pureblood family!" Narcissa argued. "And they would never, ever intermarry with Muggles."

"But, they do not care about the sanctity of their _blood_ -"

"Why, because they won't inbreed to preserve their blood purity?" she hissed, losing her temper before she could stop herself. "Father, I will _not_ marry Evan! We are first cousins."

"You will do as I say, Narcissa," he growled, standing up to his full height so that he could tower over her threateningly. She took a step or two backward, still clutching her wand.

"But, Father," she whispered, knees starting to buckle as he pulled out his own wand.

"Are you a blood traitor whore like your sister?" he snapped. "Do I need to remind you what it means to be a Black?"

"No, Father," she said quickly, attempting to take another step backwards, but he grabbed her wrist roughly to hold her in place. "Please don't make me marry Evan-"

"You will do as I _say_ ," he repeated, his voice dangerously low. Narcissa's stomach flipped over. "I think that I _do_ need to remind you what it means to be a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," he hissed, pointing his wand at her.

"Father, please!" But, her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Crucio!" he shouted viciously, face twisted as he issued the Unforgivable curse, and the most agonizing and brutal pain that Narcissa had ever felt flooded through her body as she collapsed to the floor in a twitching heap, unearthly screams escaping from her mouth.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope you're all still reading along- leave me some Kudos if you've made it this far and are enjoying :)
> 
> Bella gets wild in this chapter, and Cygnus finally gets his.

Narcissa spent the next week of the holidays locked away in her own ivory tower: Ten Grimmauld Place. Lucius sent her letter after letter, but her father intercepted Morgana and the many Malfoy owls each time they landed on a windowsill, burning the letters before she could even peruse them. She watched all of this through horrified eyes as she crouched atop the landing of the master staircase, hugging her knees tightly to her chest.

"Father, please," Narcissa choked out on the eighth day of her imprisonment. She had been expected at Malfoy Manor three days ago, and was wondering when Lucius would put in an appearance. She knew that he hadn't forgotten her, as his daily letters proved, but she didn't understand why he, her prince on galloping white steed, hadn't come to save his fair maiden.

"No. Clearly, I wasn't strict enough with _any_ of you. You are _going_ to marry Evan, so help me Merlin, and upon your return to school, you are also going to inform Malfoy that you will no longer be able to see him," her father replied icily as he tossed the newest letter into the burning flames of the living room fireplace.

"No," whispered Narcissa into her palm as she held it over her mouth, tears now cascading down her pale cheeks. Her father gave a satisfied smile as he watched the parchment curl into black embers and trotted into his study, whistling cheerfully. Narcissa half hoped that he was going to down a bottle of Firewhisky, finally giving her the opportunity to escape from her prison, but she didn't think it likely. Unfortunately, Cygnus Black was the most coherent that he had been in years, having seemingly halted his alcohol intake so that he could supervise his daughter. Her other hope was that Bellatrix would come to her rescue, but she hadn't even seen her older sister at Christmas; she and Rodolphus had gone off to Albania for some mysterious reason. No, the situation seemed hopeless, and so Narcissa stayed hunched into a ball on the stairs, crying freely into her knees.

Much later that night, after the witching hour had come and gone, Narcissa tossed and turned fretfully in her bed, the moon waxing full and bright in the inky sky outside her bedroom. She sat up suddenly, half convinced that she'd heard a noise coming from the window, and reached for her wand, which lay in its usual spot on her bedside table.

"Cissa?" she heard, and bit down on her lower lip hard, praying to Merlin that she wasn't dreaming. The bodiless voice spoke her name again, and as she crept out of bed to inspect the window, a tall figure appeared in shadow. She only needed one look at the white-blonde ponytail gleaming in the moonlight to know that her prince had finally come.

"Lucius!" she gasped, flinging herself into his arms as he slid rather gracefully through the open window, and landed on his feet.

"Darling Cissa!" he replied in husky tones, fervently kissing her all over her face, "are you all right? I knew that something was amiss, as you hadn't answered _any_ of my letters, and then you didn't arrive at the Manor. I wrote to Bellatrix for assistance, and she said that she thought that you were being held captive by your father."

"Yes! Oh, Lucius, it's been so terrible!" Narcissa cried, burying her face in his solid chest and breathing in _his_ scent, the scent that she thought she'd have to live without. "Father is _refusing_ to let us be together; he's maintaining that I _must_ marry Evan!"

"Well, that just won't do, will it?" a female voice interjected, and before Narcissa knew it, Bellatrix had also appeared on her windowsill.

"Bella!" exclaimed Narcissa, now throwing herself at her sister, who patted her on the back rather awkwardly. "I thought you were in Romania?" Stepping back, she gave Bella the once-over, quickly noticing that she looked even _gaunter_ than she had over the summer. Her eyes still had that fanatical gleam to them, sparkling darkly in the moonlight, and her hair was wild, cascading down her back in disarray.

" _Albania_ ," corrected Bella, slipping her black winter cloak off her slender shoulders. "I was, but as soon as I received word that our _dearest_ father was refusing to comply, I knew that I must return and rescue you."

"Are we going to leave now, then?" Narcissa asked, moving back to stand next to Lucius and slipping her hand into his.

"Not quite _yet_ ," replied Bella cryptically. "First, we must get revenge." Narcissa's stomach started to churn as she took her sister's meaning.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered. Lucius squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Well, you need to pack your things, Cissy," dictated Bella as she withdrew her wand from her dress pocket, twirling it between her fingers. "When you are finished, the two of you can meet me in Father's study." With that, she crept silently from Narcissa's bedroom and out of sight, and Narcissa turned her face up to Lucius's.

"She's going to kill Father, isn't she?" she asked, and he brushed his thumb along her jaw. "Please tell me, Lucius, I can handle it."

"Yes," he replied solemnly. "She wrote me a letter from Albania saying that I should wait to retrieve you until she came back. She wants to avenge your father for all that he did to your mother, and to the three- two of you." His gray eyes, turned molten silver in his anger at Cygnus Black, found her cerulean ones and held them.

"I can't say that I'm _sad_ ," she murmured, pressing her hand against his cheek. "Father has had it coming for a long time. I just don't- like murder."

"I know, Cissa, but your father _deserves_ to die for what he's done to you, to all of you. He's _abused_ you and _disrespected_ you, and now he's locked you away like his prisoner. That is _no_ way to treat a lady, and Bellatrix _and_ I are going to make sure that he pays," said Lucius emphatically, and Narcissa felt waves of ire radiating from him.

"Lucius," she said urgently, as she realized for the first time that he was willing to kill for her, that he _wanted_ to kill for her, "I know that my father is a bad man, but I don't want you to _murder_ him; I don't want his death to be on your hands."

"Tell me, dearest," he drawled, wrapping his arms firmly around her, "Has he used the Cruciatus curse on you?"

"Yes," she breathed, her fear slowly morphing into something else as Lucius's eyes flashed lightning.

"Has he spoken to you as though you are no better than a _house elf_?"

"Yes," she said again, and felt the waves of darkness that her surname alluded to crash rise up in her.

"And has he physically harmed you?"

" _Yes_." And with that, she stared deeply into his eyes, shivering as fire coursed through her veins.

"Then I'm going to murder him, darling, because _no one_ is allowed to touch or disrespect you. You are _mine_ ," he all but snarled, his lips seizing hers roughly.

"As you are mine, my love," she said, passionately kissing him back and pressing her body against his, desperate to get even _closer_.

"How's the packing going?" Bellatrix's voice floated up to the second floor, interrupting Narcissa and Lucius, who were still wrapped around each other by the window.

"Fine!" replied Narcissa hurriedly, pulling away from Lucius so that she could summon all of her belongings into her trunk. He helped her, and soon enough everything was packed neatly. Narcissa changed quickly into a dress, ignoring Lucius's eyes as he drank in her gentle curves and alabaster skin with hunger, barely restraining himself from touching her.

"Brilliant. Now, let us go see to darling Father; he's in his study waiting for us," Bella said as the two emerged from Narcissa's bedroom, carrying her trunk and various suitcases. She flashed a deeply wicked smile at her little sister, then led them down the stairs and into the study. Cygnus was sitting gagged in his desk chair, ropes bound tightly around him, eyes nearly popping out of his head as he attempted to free himself.

"Oh," said Narcissa suddenly, sucking in a deep breath. The wildfire that had risen up in her upstairs started to ebb away slowly as she realized that Bella and Lucius were going to kill her father before her very eyes. He had been terrible and abusive to all of the Black women and it was true that Narcissa had no fond memories of him, but he was still her _father_. Beside her, Lucius's arm went firmly around her waist, offering her the support that she needed. Her father strained to make eye contact with his youngest daughter, silently pleading for her assistance.

"Father, why ever are you looking at Narcissa in that way? Do you think that she's really going to _help_ you, after all that you've done?" asked Bellatrix in a sickeningly sweet voice that caused Narcissa to shiver and press against Lucius's side. Their father, still struggling against his binds and gag, wordlessly begged for Narcissa to help him. "Oh, Father," Bella added, now walking around the study in a prowling stance, her wand dancing between her fingers, "how very foolish you are. Cissy is _not_ going to free you, nor am I. We have watched for _years_ as you beat Mother, as you tortured her, and as you sent her to her _death_. Yes, she poisoned herself because she could no longer _survive_ as your victim. And the three- no, the two of us, forget the Blood Traitor, also suffered at your hands as you did the very _same_ to us. You used the Cruciatus curse on _all_ of us, you _forced_ me into a marriage with a man ten years my senior, you beat us and bruised our delicate bodies, and you treated us like we were worth _nothing_. Well, tonight all of that is going to change, for the tables have turned, Father. Let's see how _you_ enjoy being tortured- CRUCIO!" said Bella, her voice rising with each word of her speech until she was nearly screaming. Narcissa's whole body erupted in shivers as she watched her father collapse to the floor, shaking and twitching as she had done only a week ago at his hands.

"Are you all right, dearest?" Lucius whispered in her ear as she tensed against him, and she nodded jerkily, raising wide blue eyes to his face.

"Yes," she breathed hesitantly, "I suppose he deserves it after all- doesn't he?" Lucius nodded vehemently, stroking a hand over her golden locks, but she didn't feel very reassured.

"So, tell me, Father," deadpanned Bellatrix as she watched her father writhe in agony at her feet, her own features distorted in a feral grin, "How is it for you? Is it too _painful_? Is it _embarrassing_ to be thrown to the floor by your daughter as others look on and watch? Do you feel _weak_?" She spat the last word at him, kicking him sharply in the ribs. Cygnus, the Cruciatus curse finally wearing off, looked up in terror at his eldest daughter, and Narcissa felt sick as she realized that Bella was _enjoying_ this. It was one thing to _kill_ their father, she thought, but it was another to _torture_ him.

"Bella," interrupted Lucius a second later, as if reading Narcissa's thoughts, "should we just get it over with?"

" _Excuse me_?" Bellatrix snapped, whirling around to face him. "This is _my_ father, Malfoy, and we will do to him as _I_ see fit."

"Fine, but I don't think that Narcissa wants to see-"

"Well, then little baby Cissy can go wait outside for us. I have been waiting for this day since he told me that I _had_ to marry Rodolphus Lestrange because I was nothing better than a _brood mare_. Because females are worth _nothing_ , as our dearest Father proved to us time and time again, and they are _weak_. Who's the weak one now, Father?" she shrieked, casting another _Crucio_ at him. Narcissa, bristling at her sister's condescension to her, nevertheless hid her face in Lucius's side as her father continued to twitch and writhe on the floor, still bound and gagged.

"We're going to finish it _now_ ," said Lucius a second later, his voice dangerously low. He advanced on Bella, wand at the ready. Bella's eyes flashed, about to challenge him, but she stopped when Narcissa sank weakly to the ground.

" _Fine_ ," she hissed, rolling her eyes, "but be warned, Malfoy- you'll never make a proper Death Eater if you don't enjoy playing with your food before you eat it." And then she cackled wildly, and Lucius fought the urge to roll his own eyes.

"On three, then?" he asked, eyeing Cygnus with something bordering on hatred. "Narcissa, if you don't want to see-"

"No, it's all right," whispered Narcissa from her seat on the floor, eyes still wide with horror, and heart beating a mile a minute.

"On three, then," agreed Bellatrix, now standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Lucius, "One- two- three- AVADA KEDAVRA!" she screeched at the top of her lungs.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lucius bellowed at the same time, green light flashing from both of their wands and hitting Cygnus square in the chest. His head lolled to the floor, lifeless, and his body stilled, as Narcissa let out a small strangled noise from her position across the room.

"Quickly," said Bella a second later, eyes darting around the study. "We need to make it look like he accidentally killed himself."

"How?" breathed Narcissa as Lucius all but lifted her into a standing position.

"We're going to light the house on fire," Bella explained, pouring bottle after bottle of Firewhisky in a ring around the study, dumping the last of it directly onto her father's body so that he would go up in flames and no one would be able to analyze the cause of death. "No one will question the fact that Cygnus Black got a little too drunk and wild with his wand work. Just make sure that you have _everything_ because we are going to flee the premises, and never return." Narcissa nodded silently, fighting the urge to vomit, and Lucius supported her numb body, moving her into the living room where her trunk waited for her. She heard Bella whispering spells in the study, and suddenly the room burst into red-hot flames.

"Quickly!" yelled Bellatrix, taking hold of Morgana, the family owl, as she landed on her arm, and disapparated herself to Lestrange Manor. Lucius wrapped his arm around Narcissa tightly as they both grabbed her luggage, and side-along apparated her to Malfoy Manor. Her last glimpse of Number Ten Grimmauld Place was of a burning inferno before her vision blurred and everything faded to black as she collapsed over the hearth in the Malfoys' sitting room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone that has stuck with this so far! It's nearing the end, but we're not quite there yet. Poor Narcissa, life is rough for her right now :(

Many years later, Narcissa attempted to piece together the weeks and months following her father's murder, and found that they were all muddled together in a sort of hodgepodge inside her brain. She remembered arriving at Malfoy Manor that night, Lucius supporting her lithe form as she fainted dead away in front of the fireplace, and an army of house elves squeaking around her as she came to and they offered her water, food, anything to make Miss Black happy. She had a vague idea that Abraxas arrived home from a ministry meeting later that night, and she remembered hearing yelling in the hallway outside of the bedroom that was now hers.

"And are you suspected?" Abraxas' voice had carried in through the crack of the door. A small house elf with huge eyes shaped like tennis balls paused in his ministrations to Narcissa and looked at her in alarm.

"Of course not, Father! I am not an _idiot_ , as you like to make out..."

"Do NOT speak to me like that, boy! If you know what's good for you, you'll sever ties with her; the Black family has always been nothing but trouble." After that, the memory whirled away in a wisp of smoke, and Narcissa recalled Lucius lying curled around her on the large bed even later that night, his body molded to hers perfectly.

"Is your father angry?" she'd whispered through the darkness, and felt his hand on her brow, soothingly stroking stray tendrils of hair out of her eyes.

"No, darling. Everything is going to be fine," he'd replied, holding her more tightly.

"But, I heard him saying that you should cut ties with..."

"Cissa, hush, don't worry. My father is unimportant; right now you should just focus on going to sleep. I'll be right beside you the whole night."

"Lucius?" she'd asked minutes later, feeling her stomach roiling.

"Hm?" he'd replied sleepily, lips somewhere near her left ear.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she'd said hurriedly before springing out of bed to rush into the attached bathroom. Lucius had been two steps behind her, and he held her hair back as she vomited repeatedly, purging everything that had been in her stomach, purging the memory of Bellatrix laughing as their father twitched and silently screamed on his study floor, and purging the rising waves of fear and anxiety that threatened to overtake her.

"It's all right, love, it's all right," Lucius had murmured soothingly as she sank to the tile floor in his arms. He'd cradled her like a small child against his chest, stroking her damp hair back from her forehead, and she'd buried her face into his neck.

"I'm sorry," she'd whispered, and felt his throat contract.

"Whatever for?" he'd demanded. "You have nothing to be sorry for, darling; _I'm_ sorry that you had to witness that. I didn't realize that Bella was...was..."

"Insane?" she'd replied mirthlessly, face still pressed against his neck. "I'm sorry that you now have my father's murder on your hands. I'm sorry that you've gotten entangled with the troublesome Blacks."

"Cissa, no," he'd said hurriedly, tipping her face up so that they could make eye contact. "I killed your father because of everything that he has done to you, and I would kill him again in a heartbeat. I would do _anything_ to protect you..."

"I _know_ , Lucius, but now you're trapped with me..."

"I _choose_ you, Narcissa. I choose you because I _love_ you. And I promise you, my darling, that I will _always_ keep you safe." With that, Lucius had placed a tender kiss to her temple, and she'd nodded tearfully, but his words did little to abate the anxiety in her stomach.

After the first night, Narcissa remembered interrogations regarding her father's death, the Aurors arriving to ask her where she had been that night, and snippets of conversations containing the words _fire_ , _Firewhisky_ , and _burned down_ , and so she'd burrowed deeper into the bed in her new room, closing her eyes to the world. She recalled turning seventeen in early January, and Lucius asking her if she wanted a cake or a celebration with Cecilia and Evan. She said no, instead choosing to spend it curled up in his arms, breathing in his familiar scent that she'd once found so soothing but that now had a faintly dark undertone to it and turned her stomach ever so slightly while also promising her protection; it was a bittersweet feeling. She chased sleep each day, the only thing that she really wanted, but it somehow eluded her; when she would finally fall into restless slumber, nightmares would plague her for hours. The scene from her father's study put in an appearance in every dream that she had, and she would wake up tossing and turning, sweating, and barely suppressing screams.

"Are you ready to go back to school?" Lucius had asked her toward the end of the holidays after Cygnus Black's death had been deemed an unfortunate accident. The interrogations of the Black family were officially over, and Cygnus's body had been so unrecognizable that the Ministry could not determine the actual cause of death, which had been Bellatrix's intent. They agreed that Cygnus Black, in a drunken stupor, had spilled Firewhisky in his study and then accidentally knocked over a candle or cast a spell or two, thereby causing the fire. Ten Grimmauld Place, from what Narcissa had pieced together, was largely destroyed and uninhabitable, and she knew that she would never again return to it.

"Yes," she'd replied softly, still curled in a ball under her down comforter. She knew that Lucius was worried for her state of mind, whispering things like _trauma_ and _breakdown_ outside of her bedroom when he thought she was asleep. She tried to reassure him that she was fine, but she was unable to do so; she felt more and more with each passing day that she was trapped inside a bubble and was watching things happen around her with no ability to participate.

"I'll be with you the entire term, darling," he'd said, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair. He'd spent every night in bed with her over the past fortnight, and she wasn't sure how she would adjust to sleeping alone again at Hogwarts. There would be no one to whisper calming words in her ear when she awoke screaming from another jarring nightmare, and no one to kiss away her tears at the haunting memory of Bella's face twisted in laughter and her father silently pleading for her assistance.

"I love you," Lucius said repeatedly, and while Narcissa _did_ love him back, a small part of her also wished that she could disappear into the world and free herself from him and from the darkness that she knew was descending upon them.

Back at Hogwarts, Narcissa did her best to act as though everything was fine, but it was difficult. Lucius only left her side for classes or Quidditch practice; other than that he sat with her during all their meals, studied with her at secluded tables in the library or common room, and spent Prefect shifts with her patrolling the castle. Evan and Cecilia also spent a good deal of time with her, both under the impression that she was simply devastated by her mother's death last year and her father's death but twelve months later.

"I'm so sorry, Cissy," Cecilia whispered to her in February as they worked on a Charms essay in the library together. "If you ever need to talk about anything, just know that I'm here." Narcissa almost laughed at that; she needed to talk to someone more than anything, but she couldn't very well disclose the events of the past year. _Yes_ , _Cecilia_ , she imagined saying, _I desperately need to tell you what happened. My mother poisoned herself last year because of my father's consistent abuse, leaving me to be his new victim. When I went home for the holidays this year, he informed me that I had to stop seeing Lucius because he wants me to marry Evan because the Malfoys are not as pure as the Blacks or the Rosiers. I refused, and he locked me in our house like a prisoner; Bella convinced Lucius that they needed to murder my father to avenge his abuse and tyranny, and to rescue me. She tortured Father in front of me as he silently begged for my help and I watched helplessly, and then she and Lucius cast the killing curse. We fled Ten Grimmauld Place so as not to be suspected, and I have been having one long nervous breakdown since that night. The worst part is that Bella is most definitely insane and she enjoyed torturing our father; Lucius also killed him without so much as a second thought. I am so worried for my future because Lucius is going to become a Death Eater and there is nothing that I can do because I love him and because there is a darkness that lives inside me. I felt it rising up in me when Lucius said that he would kill for me, and I almost wanted him to murder my father._

"Thank you, Cecilia," said Narcissa instead; dropping her quill in green ink, "I really appreciate that. I think I just need time."

"I understand," Cecilia replied softly, and Narcissa forced herself to smile at her friend.

* * *

The months continued to trickle by, and Narcissa found herself under constant scrutiny. Everyone knew what had happened to the Black family, and she was sure that the professors were discussing how pale she looked while her classmates noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She pushed herself to keep her marks up to par, to engage in conversations with her peers, and to just brush her long, blonde hair each morning, but even simple tasks were growing harder. She caught Sirius continuously eyeing her across the Great Hall or on the grounds, turning to his group of Blood Traitor and Mudblood friends to whisper things. Regulus was by Narcissa's side nearly as much as Lucius; he seemed to be guarding her from the gossip like a faithful pet dog.

"Cissy," Sirius called to her one day in April as she wandered aimlessly down to the lake, schoolbag slung over her shoulder, mercilessly alone for once. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and wanted nothing more than to sprawl out in the brisk sunshine and close her eyes against the warmth.

"Yes?" she said coldly, the light breeze whipping a strand of hair across her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, dark eyes filled with something that looked like concern.

"No," she said shortly, unwilling to elaborate.

"I'm sorry," he replied quietly, "about everything."

"Thank you," she conceded, softening a bit.

"Listen, have you spoken with Andromeda?" he asked. Narcissa sucked in a breath at the mention of her sister, whom she hadn't laid eyes on since the last day of school the year before. Naturally, she'd had a pang to write to her sister and unload everything, but those ties had been severed and Narcissa wasn't willing to cross boundaries.

"No. Why, have you spoken with her?" 

"Yes," Sirius replied, looking around behind him as if to ensure that they weren't being overheard. "I write to her regularly. In fact, she invited me to stay with her this summer, but I think I'm going to stay with the Potters instead. I can't face another summer at Grimmauld Place being stifled by my crazy mother."

"I understand," said Narcissa, wondering if there was a point to this conversation.

"But, she's written to me a lot about your father's death. She wants to meet up with you."

"Sirius, you _know_ that I can't see her in person. Bella would have my head if I was spotted liaising with the Blood Traitor."

"I know, I know. And listen, Bella's threats aren't to be taken lightly; one day I fear that she's going to murder all of us," he said earnestly. Narcissa suppressed a shudder, and forced the memory of her father's twitching body and Bella's laughter back down inside. "But, I can help you meet Andy in secret if you want."

"How?" she asked suspiciously. Part of her _did_ want to see her older sister again and unburden herself to the person who had been her childhood support system.

"I'm in the business of knowing some secret spaces around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade," Sirius whispered even though they were less than a foot from each other and completely alone. For the first time in months, Narcissa had an urge to laugh. "I can ensure that no one will see or overhear you."

"Well," she hesitated. "I do want to see her..."

"And tell her what _really_ happened that night?"

"I...I don't know what you mean," she stuttered, but his dark eyes bore heavily into her blue ones and she felt as though he was searching her soul.

"Cissy, come on. We both know that your father didn't get drunk and accidentally light the house on fire. This has Bella written all over it."

"Hm," she said noncommittally, wondering how much blame could be placed on her; she had been a silent participant, hadn't she?

"And Malfoy?" Sirius so quietly that Narcissa almost didn't hear it.

"Excuse me, Sirius, but I think you know that Lucius and I were _both_ at Malfoy Manor the night that..."

"I saw the three of you."

" _What_?"

"I looked out our upstairs hallway window, which, as you know, faces across into your bedroom window, and I saw the three of you conversing in the middle of the night. According to the Ministry reports, your father was found dead less than an hour later."

"Oh Merlin," she gasped, biting her lower lip so hard that she drew blood. "Sirius, you have to understand- Father had gone _insane_ and locked me in the house. He said that I couldn't see Lucius anymore because I _had_ to marry Evan to ensure the continuation of perfectly pure bloodlines. He was using the Cruciatus Curse on me, and Bella and Lucius did it to protect me. Please, _please_ don't say anything..."

"Cissy, don't worry. I don't blame dear Bella and Malfoy for killing Cygnus; he was one of the vilest wizards that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I'm Walburga's son, mind you. He deserved everything that he got and more. I just hope that _you_ are all right."

"I'm fine," said Narcissa shortly, nonetheless feeling a sense of relief wash over her; her horrible, terrible secret would never be revealed. "I would like to meet with Andromeda, though, if you can arrange that."

"Yes, I'll write to her immediately and arrange a date and time for you two. Look out for a note from me," Sirius said, eyes still locked with his cousin's.

"Thank you, Sirius," she replied softly. "You're a good cousin."

"As are you, Cissy. Don't get led too far astray by your acquaintances," he said lightly, turning on his heel to hurry back toward the castle without another word.

"Too late for that," whispered Narcissa to no one as she sank down on a rock overlooking the lake and buried her head in her knees, tears flowing unbidden from her aching eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you're still enjoying/following along. New chapter- lots of Sirius, Regulus, and Andromeda. And some fun Lucius and Narcissa action at the end :)

Several weeks later on a warm, twilit evening in May, the kind that turns one's thoughts toward summer, Sirius slipped a note in Narcissa's hand as he casually strolled by the Slytherin table on his way out of the Great Hall. She quickly ate the last few bites of her steak and ale pie, slung her bag over her shoulder, and said goodbye to Cecilia before departing. Lucius was holding one final Quidditch practice to ensure that his team was in top flying shape before the Quidditch Cup at the end of May, so none of their Slytherin boys were at dinner.

"Cissy!" she heard as she tripped lightly down a side corridor, searching for a private spot to read her note in peace. She whipped her head around, long blonde mane swinging over a slender shoulder, and saw Regulus approaching her.

"Hi, Regulus! What's up?" she asked, praying to Merlin that he didn't want to have a long heart-to-heart.

"Did Sirius hand you something? Back at dinner?" he replied, pushing his black hair off his forehead in a nearly identical manner to his older brother.

"Oh!" Narcissa paused, thinking of what to tell him. She didn't feel like getting into the whole Andromeda conversation since she knew that poor Regulus had been concerned for her ever since the Christmas holidays. "Yes, he wrote down some ingredients for this potion that I'm interested in. It's for- for healing injuries."

"Oh?" Regulus didn't look convinced, and she knew it was a weak lie.

"Because Lucius gets hurt playing Quidditch sometimes, you know? And the Essence of Dittany doesn't always work, so I wanted something else. That girl that Sirius is friends with- the redheaded Muggleborn one- she's very good at Potions, so he asked her about other healing potions. That's all this is," finished Narcissa breathlessly, realizing that she was babbling. But, Sirius had spent a good amount of time bragging to them about that Evans girl's Potions abilities, so she thought that maybe Regulus would buy it.

"That makes sense," he said, nodding slowly. "But, Cissy? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Reg," she said, smiling at him. He'd always be her baby cousin, the one wobbling after them in the back garden on chubby legs, no matter how old he got.

"Are you all right? After- you know- everything that happened in January?"

"Yes, darling, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. I mean, I'm sad about- about Mother and Father, you know, but I'm all right."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. You know, Cissy, you can always talk to me about anything," he said, his twelve-year-old face gazing earnestly at her. She swallowed a large lump that had caught in her throat with difficulty, and nodded wordlessly at him. Of course she was not _really_ all right, despite the fact that sleep was slowly coming back to her and her nightmares were starting to lessen. The memory of Bella's shrill laughter and twisted face as she tortured and murdered their father upon his study floor was still sharp in Narcissa's mind, and she wasn't sure that it would ever truly fade.

"Thank you, Regulus. I appreciate that," she said softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Of course," he replied, dark eyes filled with something that she thought was probably anxiety. "Oh, also! Do you think that Lucius can put in a good word for me on the Quidditch team next year? I'm thinking to try out for Seeker."

"Absolutely! I'll tell him the next time I see him. I'm sure you'd be a great Seeker," said Narcissa, giving his hand one last little squeeze. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm just off to see Professor Slughorn about a homework question."

"Thank you, Cissy! See you later," Regulus said before he turned and wandered back toward the Great Hall. Narcissa, on the other hand, continued her journey to an empty classroom in a deserted corridor, locking the door behind her as she perched herself on a desk and unfolded the note from Sirius.

"The statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor. Tonight at eight o'clock," she read aloud to the empty classroom. Casting a quick glance at her watch, which told her that she had exactly an hour and ten minutes until her rendezvous, she decided to spend it in the classroom finishing her Transfiguration essay.

* * *

"Cissy! Come on!" hissed Sirius at five minutes past eight as he pushed Narcissa down the slide that had been revealed after the statue's hump had swung open. "We don't have much time before Andy gets to the Three Broomsticks."

"Fine! But, I don't understand how we're going to sneak unnoticed into Hogsmeade when all students are _obviously_ supposed to be in the castle," she grumbled as they jogged through the long tunnel.

"You'll see." Sirius turned his head around to grin at her. She rolled her eyes, and they continued on in silence for what felt like an eternity. "Stop!" he finally cried, grabbing her wrist as they came to the end of the tunnel.

"Where are we?" she asked, wondering if she was half out of her mind for following her miscreant cousin's plan.

"Underneath Honeydukes," he replied nonchalantly, pulling something silvery from inside his robes. "Before we venture forth, you must put this on."

"What is that?" she asked, watching as he wrapped himself in the silvery cloak; immediately his entire body disappeared, leaving nothing but a floating head. Narcissa gasped loudly. "Merlin! Sirius, is that what I think it is?"

"An invisibility cloak? Yeah, it is," he laughed at her incredulity, uncloaking himself so that they could both fit under it.

"But, where did you get it? I thought that they didn't exist, that they were just mythological!" she cried, nonetheless ducking underneath it, uncomfortably close to her cousin.

"That's my secret," he replied cheekily, pushing open the trapdoor that lay over the top of the tunnel. Before she knew it, they found themselves in the basement of Honeydukes, and then they were darting up the back staircase and through the sweetshop, which looked as though it had only closed an hour or so ago, and out into the street. They trotted toward the Three Broomsticks, both securely under the cloak, and quickly located Andy in a secluded back corner.

"Hello!" Sirius said brightly as he revealed their presence. Andromeda, who had clearly been instructed to order drinks beforehand, had three foaming Butterbeers in front of her and rolled her eyes as her cousin and sister appeared in the booth next to her. "Andy, I told you that I wanted Firewhisky," he added, sipping his drink anyway.

"You're barely fourteen, Siri, calm yourself," replied Andromeda, looking at Narcissa nervously. She took a long sip of her own Butterbeer. "Hello, Narcissa."

"Andromeda," Narcissa said in a slightly high-pitched tone, her blue eyes darting around, looking anywhere but her sister's face.

"Sirius said that you wanted to discuss Father's death?" asked Andy, her own dark eyes landing on Sirius with unspoken meaning. "Sirius, do you mind?"

"What? Oh! Right, you wanted privacy. I'll just be over at the next booth, sipping my Butterbeer. Hopefully no one notices that a third-year is at Hogsmeade at nine o'clock on a Thursday," he remarked cheerily before relocating to said booth.

"How _did_ you two get out of the castle without being seen?"

"It appears that our darling cousin not only has _vast_ knowledge of the secret passageways in and out of Hogwarts, but he also has access to invisibility cloaks," said Narcissa, drinking some of her Butterbeer. The warmth began to thaw her frozen insides, just the tiniest bit.

"Of _course_ ," snorted Andromeda, watching her little sister out of the corner of her eye. "Cissy, listen. I'm sorry that I didn't write you about Father's death, but I-" here she broke off, her eyes unusually bright. Narcissa whipped her head around in all directions before satisfying herself that they wouldn't be overheard. 

"It's all right," she replied softly. "Did you hear what happened?"

"That Father burned the house down with himself inside? Yes, I heard that, but I wasn't sure if- if-"

"Go on," Narcissa prompted, finally looking her sister in the eye.

"I wasn't sure if Bella had something to do with it. I saw her in Diagon Alley last summer, and she looked _insane_. She was much too skinny and pale, and her eyes had this- this bright madness in them. She saw me and oh! Cissy, the _look_ that she gave me, it- I was sure that she was going to murder Ted and I in our beds. When I heard about Father, I wondered if it was really Bella and it was all a cover-up," whispered Andy in one breath. A silent look passed between the two sisters and Andy instantly knew the truth.

"She's manic now, Andy, it's terrifying. She's _so_ enamored with the Dark Lord and the Blood Purity cause, and she was so angry with Father. Mother left us a note before she died- she wrote that she took her own life by slowly poisoning herself because she couldn't be Father's victim any longer."

"What?! Cissy, I had no idea! I thought that she just-"

"I know, Andy, I know. But, after we found the note, Bella kept saying that she would take care of Father. And then, when I went home for the holidays, Father told me that I could no longer see Lucius and that he was forcing me to marry Evan."

"Cissy! No! Why wouldn't he let you see Malfoy? They're part of the Sacred!"

"Yes, but they refuse to intermarry because they don't want insanity running in their family, so they'd rather marry Half-bloods instead of a first cousin. Father doesn't consider that _pure_ enough for his taste."

"Merlin! What did you _say_?"

"I tried to argue with him, but he used the Cruciatus on me, and locked me in the house for the rest of the holidays. I was supposed to visit Malfoy Manor, so Lucius knew that something was up when I didn't arrive or return any of his letters. He and Bella came to rescue me, and they both wanted to get revenge for what Father had done to me, and to all of us."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. Well, so Lucius just wanted to murder Father because he would do _anything_ for me and he was simply _furious_ when he learned that Father had abused and tortured me. But, Bella- she- she," Narcissa wavered, fighting off a sudden churning in her stomach as she thought again of that night and of her sister telling Lucius that he would never succeed as a Death Eater if he didn't _play_ with his food first.

"Cissy, are you all right? You look very pale," said Andromeda gently, watching as her younger sister struggled to find words. Before she could continue, however, Sirius suddenly bounced back into their booth, covering them in the invisibility cloak.

"Dumbledore! He's here!" moaned Sirius, gesturing toward a familiar figure taking a seat at a table not too far from them. Narcissa glimpsed a long gray beard, half-moon spectacles, and brilliant indigo robes, and knew that their time was up.

"Wait! Cissy!" Andromeda said, grabbing Narcissa's wrist as Sirius tried to wrangle her toward the door. "You need to finish telling me!"

"I'll write you a letter," promised Narcissa, squeezing her sister's wrist in response as she dutifully followed Sirius out of the pub. They raced through the streets of Hogsmeade, climbed through an open window of Honeydukes, tiptoed into the basement and through the trapdoor, and ran through the tunnel all the way back to Hogwarts, clambering up through the one-eyed witch's hump, breathing as if they'd just completed a marathon.

"Sorry your time with her was cut short," gasped Sirius several minutes later after they were able to speak again. They both started to drift toward their respective common rooms.

"It's all right; I'm going to write her a letter. Thank you for setting this up, Sirius. I really appreciate it," Narcissa replied breathlessly, smiling a genuine smile at him. He returned it, something that he rarely did, and they waved a silent goodnight to each other. Narcissa continued trotting downstairs, getting deeper and deeper into the castle until she was close to the dungeons.

"Cissa!" Lucius exclaimed as she whipped around a corner and banged into him. "I was looking all over for you! Where have you been?" His gray eyes were dark and stormy with concern for her, and she contemplated telling him exactly where she'd been, ultimately deciding that a half-truth might be better.

"Come here," she whispered, tugging him by the wrist after her. She led them into the empty Potions classroom and cast the usual _Colloportus_ and _Muffliato_.

"What's going on?" he asked, even as he pulled her against his chest, evidently under the impression that she'd brought him in there to snog. _He wasn't half wrong_ , she thought.

"I was with Sirius- I just needed to do some family things with him after- after everything that's happened," she said softly, running her fingers through his long ponytail and untying the velvet ribbon so that she had more access to the platinum sheets.

"I understand," he murmured, tipping her chin up. "Cissa, I'm so sorry about what happened this winter. I didn't mean for _that_ to happen in front of you. I thought that Bella just wanted to- to-"

"It's fine, Lucius, it's fine. I know that you didn't want to torture my father like she did. And I know that you were just trying to avenge my father because you-"

"Because I love you _so_ much, Cissa, more than everything in the entire world. And I will _never_ let anyone hurt you like that ever again," he cut her off, his eyes digging into hers earnestly, as if promising her a lifetime of protection. His arms around her felt so safe, and for the first time since that terrible night, she felt nothing but pure love for him; her feelings were no longer tinged with a bitter darkness and a faint aftertaste.

"I love you, Lucius, I love you," she whispered huskily as he stole kiss after kiss from her. She blushed slightly as he undid her tie and then slowly unbuttoned her shirt, fingers gently caressing her soft skin.

"I want you," he replied intensely, trailing kisses down her jaw, her throat, and her collarbone. She felt heat whirling in the base of her stomach already and arched against him as he placed his hands over her lacy bra. She followed his lead, undoing _his_ tie and unbuttoning _his_ shirt, and then she fingered the waistband of his pants. He slipped both their shirts off, pulling her flush against him, and the warmth of his chest against hers made her press herself against him as tightly as she could.

"I want you, too," murmured Narcissa, feeling his arousal against her thigh, and beginning to grind up against him as he caressed her in that spot that simply _ached_ for him. She bit back a moan as he removed her knickers with a quick swipe, and unzipped her skirt, which pooled around her ankles. Soon enough, Lucius's pants and silk shorts were on the floor, as well, and then they were facing each other in all their naked glory.

"You're _so_ beautiful," he whispered in her ear, stroking her all over, and she shivered against him in delight. She felt that she wanted him _now_ , his body on top of hers, his lips covering hers, his fingers entwined with hers. He lowered her slowly to the floor, on which he had placed a blanket that he had summoned from somewhere several minutes ago, and quickly followed her down, immediately covering her thin frame with the length of his body. "I'll _always_ protect you, my darling," he whispered as he continued stroking all the right places, and dropped feather light kisses all over her skin.

"Yes," she replied, pressing herself against him as tightly as she possibly could, but still feeling that she wouldn't be close enough to him until they became one flesh. "Please don't ever leave me, Lucius."

"Never, Cissa, never," was the last thing that that she heard before Lucius entered her in one swift stroke, and they spent the next twenty minutes building each other to a state of ecstasy and then crashing down from their high together, like the tide, like a force of nature. And Narcissa felt complete.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Hopefully you're still enjoying this- leave some kudos or comments if you are! :))

The remainder of the term passed in a whirlwind; Lucius led the Slytherin Quidditch team to victory one last time, also securing them the House Cup, and successfully completed his NEWTs. He prepared for his job at the Ministry of Magic as well as his initiation as a Death Eater, against Narcissa's better wishes, and spent the last few days of his time at Hogwarts sitting side-by-side with her on the grassy knoll overlooking the lake.

"What now?" asked Narcissa quietly on the eve of their departure home from school. All around them, students flocked together arm-in-arm, laughing softly and comparing answers from their exams or plans for their summer holidays.

"Well," Lucius replied, running his fingers through her hair absentmindedly, "tomorrow we're going to take the Hogwarts Express to King's Cross Station and apparate to Malfoy Manor. Then we're going to divide our time between the Manor and the chateau in France."

"Yes," whispered Narcissa, trying to feel happy about her summer plans. On the bright side, she would be with Lucius for every waking minute; he wasn't due to start working until she went back on September 1st, and Bellatrix had advised him that the initiation wouldn't take place until early August. Regardless, her stomach still coiled from time to time when she thought of that horrible night in January, and although she was now able to sleep through most nights, the memory still plagued her.

"Everything all right?" Lucius asked, putting his fingers under her chin so that he could tilt her face up toward his. He nearly drowned right there in her oceans of blue, but he wasn't sure what lay in the swirling depths of cerulean; his Narcissa was often a mystery to him.

"Yes," she repeated. "I just- sometimes I still think about that night," she said honestly.

"Oh, Narcissa," he replied in troubled tones, his brow darkening. "I'm so sorry that you had to see-"

"I know, Lucius. As I've said, it wasn't your fault; I should have known just how insane Bella is now and what she's truly capable of."

"Yes," agreed Lucius, "but don't ever worry about me becoming like that, love. I don't like violence; I only want to join to protect our way of life."

"I know," Narcissa said softly, placing her hand against his cheek. "And I understand that, really I do. It's just that the-" she broke off for a second to ensure that they were out of hearing range from the other students, "that the Dark Lord is going to become your master. You're swearing your life to him when you take the Mark." Her eyes flickered as they held his gray ones, and she prayed to Merlin that he understood her meaning. She hoped that she would still take precedence in his life, even over his master.

"Yes, Cissa," he replied quickly, putting his larger hand over her small one. "That's true, he will be my master and I will swear my life to him. But that doesn't matter to me; _you_ are the single most important thing in my life. And, I promise you, my darling, it will _always_ stay like that." He dipped his head down to kiss her, and she nodded slowly as he plundered her lips sweetly. His familiar taste and smell sent her head reeling, as always, but she still managed to say yet another prayer to Merlin that what he said was the truth.

The next morning dawned bright and early, and Narcissa dashed to the Owlery to send one last letter before anyone could miss her. Morgana, who had escaped with Bellatrix from the burning Grimmauld Place, had returned to her rightful perch at Hogwarts, and had spent the past two months flying regularly from the Tonks residence in London to the Great Hall. Narcissa had penned the entire story of their father's murder to Andromeda, who had been horrified but not terribly shocked. She had known what their older sister was capable of for a long time, and had just been waiting for the true Black madness to manifest itself through Bella. She had also advised Narcissa again and again to break from Lucius while she still could because dark times were coming, and she had positioned herself to be on the wrong side of the impending war. Andy had understood that Narcissa loved Lucius madly, and that he loved her fiercely in return and would go above and beyond to protect her, but he had still _murdered_ their father in front of her and was going to join the Death Eaters imminently. Narcissa had explained over and over again that Lucius did not _enjoy_ killing like Bellatrix did, but that he was defending her honor; she herself had given her permission for Lucius to avenge their father. In the end, after a large amount of letters were exchanged, Andromeda had still refused to budge on her recommendation that Narcissa cut ties with Lucius, and Narcissa had patiently written that she loved Lucius just as Andromeda loved Ted, so there was no chance of her ever leaving him. On the last morning of her sixth year, she penned one more letter to her sister explaining that she was relocating to Malfoy Manor and the French chateau for the entirety of the summer, so it would be risky to send any other letters. She knew that Lucius certainly wouldn't object (personally she thought that he wouldn't object to _anything_ that made her happy), but she wasn't sure how Abraxas would feel about her corresponding with her blood traitor sister, and if it would somehow get back to Bella. After watching Morgana soar through the open window of the Owlery, Narcissa took a deep breath and stood looking out over the picturesque grounds until her owl was a tiny speck in the bright blue skyline.

"Cissy, that's so nice that you get to spend the summer with Lucius!" Cecilia said brightly on the train home several hours later. Evan, who had his arm draped around Cecilia, nodded enthusiastically, and Narcissa smiled at them.

"Yes," she agreed, "it's very nice. Much better than spending it at Lestrange Manor; Merlin knows what that would be like."

"You'd be taking your life in your hands with that one," drawled Lucius as he slid the door open to their compartment. "Well, Rosier, are you going to miss me on the Quidditch field next year?"

"Please," Evan snorted. "You mean am I going to miss you yelling at me during every practice? I don't think so, Malfoy." Cecilia and Narcissa laughed lightly, and Lucius slipped into the seat next to Narcissa, planting a small kiss on the crown of her head.

"Best of luck finding another captain that's as _dedicated_ ," sneered Lucius, and Narcissa stroked his ponytail fondly while also rolling her eyes.

"Sure," Evan said in disbelief.

"I wonder who they'll make Quidditch Captain next year," said Cecilia musingly.

"I have no idea," Lucius replied, now laying his head in Narcissa's lap so that she could continue petting his hair.

"Excuse me?!" cried Evan, pulling his arm from where it had been wrapped around Cecilia. "I'm sitting right here!"

"Maybe you'll be the next captain," Narcissa said soothingly, but Evan flushed angrily.

"Don't hold your breath," drawled Lucius, earning himself a sharp pinch on the forehead. "I'm just _joking_ , Cissa, Merlin."

"What about you? You don't think I have it in me to be captain?" Evan snapped at Cecilia, who smiled a Cheshire cat grin at her boyfriend and tried to move herself into his lap.

"Of course you do, darling," she said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek, "we were all just joking with you, like Lucius said."

"Well, it isn't funny," replied Evan, but he allowed Cecilia to perch herself in his lap and lean her head back against his chest. "I could bloody well be the next captain if I wanted to." They all laughed quietly at that and gazed out the windows as the rolling hills of Scotland passed them by, and for a little while, Narcissa pretended that her life was normal again.

* * *

Before Narcissa knew it, the hot and hazy days of July had tired themselves out and the first signs of August appeared. She and Lucius had spent the first month of their holidays at the French chateau, lounging in the gardens and at nearby beaches, strolling through the wineries, and entangling tanned limbs together in large beds each night. They were due to depart for Malfoy Manor on the fifth of August, as Bellatrix had informed Lucius that the initiation was scheduled for the seventh. On the fourth of August, Lucius grabbed Narcissa's hand after their usual breakfast of tea and croissants, and led her into the back garden.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following him nonetheless.

"You'll see," he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and he plucked a rose from one of the bushes that they passed, handing it to her. After a while, he led her up a rocky path, and she found herself standing on a cliff, overlooking the rolling French waters.

"This is beautiful!" she said appreciatively, looking around at the stray pieces of lavender that grew up against the rocky cliffs, and at how the sun hit the water at just the right angle, making it sparkle like it was filled with thousands of jewels.

"I used to come up here as a child when I needed to think," murmured Lucius, gesturing to a small iron bench set back on the rocks.

"Yes, this is a perfect hideaway," she said, still surveying the scenery before her, and not noticing Lucius rummaging in his pocket for something. "It probably made you feel so peaceful as a little boy." She turned back to smile at him a minute later, and then gasped when she found Lucius perched on the ground on one knee, clutching a small black box in one hand.

"Narcissa Druella Black," he began somberly, his stormy gray eyes locking with her blue ones, "I've loved you since we met at that garden party when we were children, and I'll love you for the rest of my life. There is no one else in the entire wizarding world that understands me as you do and that makes me feel as loved as you do; I would be lost without you, my darling. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife so that we can be together for all eternity?"

"Oh, Lucius, yes!" Narcissa all but shrieked, lowering her hands from her mouth, which had flown there when Lucius began his speech. "Yes, yes, yes!" And her eyes, already sparkling as much as the sea before them with unshed tears, widened as she saw the stunning diamond ring that he slid gently onto her ring finger.

"It was my mother's," he whispered, raising her slender hand to his lips so that he could kiss it. "I hope you like it." Her heart swelled at that.

"Oh, darling Lucius! It's so beautiful; I love it. And I love you. So, so much," she said in husky tones, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him as though she were dying and only he could save her life.

"Merlin, I love you, Narcissa," he replied, kissing her back just as passionately. And as they stood in each other's arms on the cliffs overlooking the azure French waters, lavender stalks blowing gently against their ankles, mouths meeting over and over again to impart secret messages to one another that they could never hope to say aloud, Narcissa thought that she finally felt so _safe_ with Lucius, as though nothing could harm her.

Three nights later, Lucius kissed Narcissa goodbye after they had finished their dinner at Malfoy Manor.

"I should be home by eleven, I would think," he said to her, pushing her hair off her face with loving fingers.

"I'll wait up for you," she replied, kissing him again for luck. "Be safe," she added as she watched him step through the Floo, and he waved a hand in farewell.

"Goodbye, Cissa. I love you," he said before he disappeared into the emerald flames. Narcissa sat down in the study with full intentions to begin her summer essays, but she spent the better part of the night examining her engagement ring instead. Abraxas, who was away in Italy on some mysterious business, had seemingly been pleased at the announcement, despite what Narcissa had overheard last winter, and was throwing them an engagement party upon his return to Wiltshire.

"Hm," said Narcissa as eleven o'clock came and went; she poured herself a glass of the Cabernet that they had been drinking with dinner. _It's probably just going longer than he thought_ , she said to herself as the clock struck midnight. She was now in her nightgown, her hair hanging down her back in a long, thick plait. She sat up in Lucius's bed, the glass of wine on the wooden table beside her, a Charms book open on her lap. Her eyes stared straight ahead at the bedroom door, flickering at each sound that she heard downstairs in the manor. Finally, at half past twelve, she heard a crash from somewhere below her and then stumbling footsteps on the stairs; she held her breath, praying that it was indeed Lucius.

"Cissa," he groaned as he staggered through the door minutes later, his face drained of blood, his hair falling out of the ponytail that she had tied for him hours earlier, and his left forearm held out at an unnatural angle.

"Merlin, Lucius! Are you all right?" cried Narcissa, leaping out of bed and crossing the room to reach his side in seconds. She gently rolled his left sleeve up and gasped when she saw the Dark Mark, the serpent extending out of the skull's mouth, glaring up at her, burning red and enflamed. She put her hand to his face to comfort him, but before she could do anything else, he had fallen to his knees on the floor. She moved with him like quicksilver, trying to support him.

"It hurts so badly, Cissa. Merlin, make it stop," he half-sobbed in a delusional manner, and rested his head on her lap. "Please make it stop."

"I will, darling. I'll get Essence of Dittany and some salve to make it better," she whispered, her throat constricting as she watched Lucius writhe in pain, his face pressed to her thighs, tears wetting the silk of her nightgown.

"No. Don't leave me, Cissa," he begged her a second later, and she wondered just exactly what they had done to him at the initiation. She shuddered and let her own tears flow freely down her face.

"I won't, my love. You're safe now," she lied, before she summoned a house elf to bring the necessary healing supplies. _We'll never be safe_ , she thought, and the feeling that she'd had of security three days before ebbed away from her in time with her fiancé’s throbbing forearm.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! This one is a bit more lighthearted and includes some fun Black family encounters. Also, baby Snape puts in an appearance! As always, thanks if you're still reading this. I hope you're enjoying! :)

August exhausted itself into September as Narcissa got herself ready for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. She finished her summer homework, purchased her school materials at Diagon Alley with Lucius in tow, and exchanged numerous owls with Cecilia and Evan. Abraxas threw them a tasteful engagement party on the twenty-ninth of August, and the entire Black clan was in attendance.

"Darling Narcissa," cooed her Aunt Walburga as Regulus stood awkwardly in the background with his father, Uncle Orion, who had been rather put out since he no longer had his brother-in-law and drinking mate. "What a match you've made!" Narcissa smiled delicately and refrained from informing her aunt that Cygnus Black had not been in agreement with this statement at all and that he had in fact been murdered for his refusal to approve the union.

"We're both extremely fortunate," cut in Lucius, appearing out of nowhere to wrap an arm around his fiancé's shoulder and rescue her from her imposing family members.

"Ah, Lucius," Aunt Walburga replied, flashing him what could only be described as a flirtatious smile. Narcissa felt her stomach curdle. "Your father must be so proud of you- a job at the Ministry _and_ I hear that you've found a place in one of the more _elite_ groups in society." Here she winked knowingly at him, and Narcissa swore that she saw Regulus shudder.

"Oh, well, yes," said Lucius, surprised that she would address his position as a Death Eater so openly at an engagement party, but Narcissa could have told him that tact had never been Walburga's strong suit.

"We are staunch supporters of the cause, you know," she continued in a stage whisper that could be heard at least twenty feet away from them. "We can only hope that dear Regulus will follow in your footsteps."

"Auntie!" broke in Narcissa as she saw Regulus grow pale behind his mother. "Regulus is only _twelve_ , he's just a child."

"Well, he wouldn't join _now_ ," Aunt Walburga huffed, her brow furrowed at Narcissa's interruption, "but certainly in the future." Narcissa wondered how Regulus felt about said future being decided for him at his cousin's engagement party, and she couldn't help but think of Sirius, who had refused to return home for the summer and had spent the holidays at James Potter's house. His place on the Black family tapestry was currently in limbo; Walburga had maintained via several Howlers that if he continued to associate with blatant blood traitors, he would be burnt off in due time. Naturally, the tapestry at Ten Grimmauld Place hadn't survived the fire, but the identical one in Twelve Grimmauld Place was in pristine condition.

"Right, well," said Lucius, trying and failing to meet Regulus's eyes.

"Lucius darling, if you could just put in a good word for Regulus, we would be forever in your debt," Aunt Walburga smiled a sickly sweet smile at her soon-to-be nephew.

"Auntie!" Bellatrix's voice boomed as she surfaced next to Narcissa. "Why are you imploring Malfoy to recommend Regulus when _I_ am the Dark Lord's favorite?"

"Be quiet," Narcissa and Lucius hissed at Bella in unison. Narcissa wanted to scream; how was it that her sister didn't have the wherewithal to remain discreet at public gatherings?

"Oh, you two. Always such killjoys," cackled Bella, flipping her dark curls over her shoulder. She looked a bit more put-together today in a simple black sundress with her hair washed and styled, which made Narcissa feel a bit better about her sister's sanity, but she was still very pale and thin, and her dark eyes glowed maniacally.

"Yes, well, we do prefer to act appropriately according to our surroundings," Lucius replied icily, dropping his arm to grip Narcissa's waist tightly. Tilting her head slightly to gaze up at him, she noticed that his eyes looked like steel.

"Aren't you just the picture of _propriety_ ," said Bella, her tone all but dripping sarcasm.

"We try to be," he sneered, and Narcissa watched Aunt Walburga's eyes dart between her niece and Lucius, filled with intrigue. "Come, Narcissa, we must socialize with our other guests. Walburga, Orion. Regulus, good luck at school this year. Bellatrix," added Lucius in his coldest manner as he nodded goodbye to the Blacks and led Narcissa away.

"Always so _serious_ ," she heard Bella hiss behind them, but they didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry, but I can't _stand_ your sister," grumbled Lucius as he whisked Narcissa through the double French doors into Malfoy Manor, down a hallway filled with portraits of pale blondes, and into a private study off to the left.

"That makes two of us," she replied, falling easily into his lap as he sank into a large green armchair. He summoned a bottle of Firewhisky and two glasses, before pouring them each a generous amount.

"Cheers," Lucius said, clinking his glass against hers and taking a swig. "Merlin, did I need that. I'm sorry that I dragged you away from the party, Cissa, but I thought a breather would be nice."

"You read my mind," said Narcissa, taking a daintier sip and enjoying the warmth that trickled down her throat and into her stomach. "My family can be a bit _draining_."

"That's one way of putting it," he muttered darkly, swallowing some more of the amber liquid. "Your aunt, I can deal with. Bellatrix, on the other hand, is something else entirely."

"She was always difficult," she agreed, nestling up against his firm chest. He kissed her golden hair softly, which she had spent hours charming into an intricate up-do with a series of braids and several flowers scattered throughout. "But, now I fear that she's-"

"Insane? Yes, I quite agree," said Lucius, draining his glass and setting it on the little wooden table beside them. He reached for her slender wrist and pressed his lips to the inside of it, setting her senses alight with pleasure. She took a larger gulp of her whiskey, swallowing the burning liquid down, and set the glass next to his.

"Is she terrible in your meetings?" Narcissa asked, turning slightly so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. Over the last few weeks, Lucius had attended weekly meetings with his fellow Death Eaters, bur except for initiation night, nothing terribly disturbing had happened. He was scheduled to do some political recruiting once he started working at the Ministry.

"Of course she is- always groveling over the Dark Lord so that she can be his _favorite_. She's the only one that really _enjoys_ torturing people- it's quite concerning, really," murmured Lucius, rolling his eyes before directing his thoughts to the girl on his lap and dropping kisses all over her face. "Merlin, Cissa, you're so beautiful. I will never tire of just _looking_ at you." His eyes, darkening with lust and something else, drank her in from her sparkling cerulean eyes to her golden up-do to her light blue sundress that revealed just enough of her bronzed arms and chest to start his blood pumping. Narcissa, feeling warmer by the second, partially due to the Firewhisky and partially to her fiancé's words and expression, nuzzled her face into his neck.

"I love you, Lucius," she whispered, breathing in his familiar scent. She was not looking forward to the next year that she would be forced to spend away from him. "I don't want to go to Hogwarts without you on Tuesday."

"I know, sweet girl," he replied, kissing the back of her neck. His hands moved to her waist, holding her body against his chest more tightly. "I'll come visit every Hogsmeade weekend that I can. And you'll be back here for the winter holidays before you know it."

"That's true," she agreed, lifting her face up to meet his. They submerged into several long minutes of kissing, and her mind was thankfully numbed.

"We should probably go back before someone misses us," Lucius said finally as he pulled back from her to gulp large lungfuls of air.

"One more kiss," Narcissa said softly, and he plundered her lips once again, needing no more prompting.

* * *

"I can't believe it's our last year," said Cecilia several days later as she and Narcissa slid into seats at the Slytherin table for breakfast in the Great Hall.

"I know. Seven years have gone by so quickly," Narcissa agreed, helping herself to toast and marmalade. Before she could say anything else, a large, handsome tawny owl landed on the table right in front of her, offering her a package.

"Package already?" Evan asked as he joined them.

"It's from Lucius," replied Narcissa as she fed the owl a piece of bacon and gave him an affectionate pat to the top of his head. He hooted cheerfully and then took off to join the other owls in the Owlery. She opened the package to discover a letter, a small box that _had_ to contain jewelry, and a box of her favorite sweets.

"He's good," Cecilia said, sending Evan a pointed glare, who was too busy loading his plate full of eggs, toast, and bacon to notice.

"Look!" gasped Narcissa, opening the small jewelry box to reveal a delicate strand of pearls with a single emerald in the middle. "So beautiful!"

"Merlin," breathed Cecilia. "Do you think it's Goblin-made?" She ran her fingers lightly over the pearls, jealousy stirring in her veins. Never had Evan given her any sort of jewelry, but then again Evan was not a Malfoy with one of the largest fortunes in wizarding Britain.

"Oh yes," Narcissa replied, eyes dancing, and she tore open the letter to read how much Lucius _already_ missed her even thought it had only been a day, and how he hoped that the necklace and sweets would remind her of him until the second weekend in October when he came for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. "Lucius _only_ gives me Goblin-made jewelry."

"Merlin!" repeated Cecilia, as Evan read the letter over Narcissa's shoulder and gagged, spraying her with bits of bacon.

"Evan!" Narcissa hissed, scooting away from her cousin and shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "That is _disgusting_. I don't see why you put up with him, Cecilia."

"I don't either," scoffed Cecilia, standing up as she gathered her schoolbag to her chest. "And he hasn't _once_ given me jewelry in all of the year-and-a-half that we've been dating." Before Evan could utter a syllable in his own defense, she had stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Great, thank you, Cissy!" he hissed as he turned on his cousin, who was busy clasping the glittering necklace around her slender neck while she smiled like a satisfied cat that had just caught a mouse.

"I don't know why you're angry with me! It isn't my fault that you haven't ever bought your girlfriend a decent gift."

"We can't all be Malfoys! I don't have my own personal vault _loaded_ with galleons. Now you've made me look like a prat."

"Well, Cecilia's birthday is next month. You should buy her a small necklace or earrings- I can help you select them, if you'd like," offered Narcissa as she neatly put her package back together and took a nibble of her toast.

"I don't have enough money, Cissy! You just don't get it, engaged to a _Malfoy_ and all," Evan retorted, pushing his plate away, apparently too distressed to eat.

"I don't get it? _I_ don't get it?" hissed Narcissa, her eyes flashing blue fires at him. "Evan, do you _know_ what my father did with our fortune? He spent it all on alcohol and dark objects! I _need_ to marry a Malfoy because there is _nothing_ left in the Black family vault!"

"Oh," Evan said uncomfortably, his neck reddening. "I forgot- I'm sorry, Cissy."

"It's fine," she snapped, gathering her schoolbag and package to her chest as she stood up and prepared to leave.

"Do you want to walk to Charms together, then? We can get there early and nab the best seats," he said quickly, looking at her hopefully.

"No, thank you. I'm going back to drop this package off in my dormitory first, so I'll just see you there." And with that, she whipped her long, blonde hair over one shoulder and strode from the Great Hall, leaving a flustered Evan in her wake.

"Why," he said to a thin, sallow-faced boy with long, dark hair hanging like curtains on either side of his face, "are women always angry with me?" The boy, whose name Evan could not remember for the life of him, simply shrugged and got back to reading his Potions textbook. "I don't know either, mate. Cheers- you can finish this," he added, sliding his half-full plate across the table in the direction of the dark-haired boy before he too left the Great Hall to meet up with two females who he was very sure wouldn't be speaking to him.


	22. Chapter 22

Narcissa settled back into her school routine quickly, and the grains of September passed through the hourglass at an even quicker pace than usual. She'd already begun preparing for her NEWTS with meticulously written notes, even though Lucius assured her _repeatedly_ that she didn't need to kill herself to attain high marks as their wedding was to be in July so she had nothing to prove, and she spent many hours in the library poring over her books. Cecilia was often with her, as was Evan and the rest of the Slytherin seven-years. Regulus, now in his second year, wandered around looking as pale as a ghost the first few weeks; he was desperately hoping to nab the now-open Seeker spot on the Slytherin team. Lucius had put in a good word for him with the Quidditch Captain, one of the Avery boys and _not_ Evan, much to his chagrin, but Narcissa was just hoping that it was enough. As much as she herself had struggled over the past year, Regulus had had a horrific summer locked at home with his mother; Sirius was now residing permanently with the Potters and Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa no longer had reason to visit their family home, which was in ruins from the fire, anyway. She rather thought that Regulus deserved some pleasure in his life, and so she whispered best wishes to him on the day of tryouts.

"Cissy," began Cecilia on that particular Saturday afternoon as they sat in the library together. Evan was in attendance at the tryouts, as were most of the Slytherin boys: either to participate as a veteran member of the team, to try out for an open position, or to watch eagerly from the stands.

"Yes?" Narcissa asked vaguely, frowning at something in her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook.

"Is Lucius going to be at the recruitment meeting in Hogsmeade in October?"

"What recruitment meeting?"

"It's all Evan will talk about- it's like the ones from last year. They want to gage who is interested again, and try to narrow down the candidates for next summer," explained Cecilia.

"Oh, I didn't know that they were planning one. It's the same weekend as our Hogsmeade visit?" Narcissa asked unhappily, wondering why Lucius hadn't mentioned it in the dozens of letters that he had sent her since school began. He had assured her repeatedly that _they_ were going to spend the whole day together in Hogsmeade.

"Yes," replied Cecilia, pulling out a box of sugar quills and offering one to her friend.

"That's strange," Narcissa said half to herself. She waved a hand at the sugar quills and continued to sit there, deep in thought.

"What, that Lucius didn't tell you?" guessed Cecilia, sucking on a quill. "He probably didn't want to tell you because you're not thrilled that he's joined?"

"But, he tells me everything, even if he knows that I'm not going to like it. I just don't see how he'd be able to attend the meeting when _we're_ supposed to spend every second of that day together. And I haven't seen him since September 1st," Narcissa said, pouting ever so slightly as she closed her textbook, too distracted now to continue her studying.

"Maybe he isn't going?" offered Cecilia, feeling guilty that she'd upset her friend.

"Who knows; I'm going to write him a letter now to ask. See you later," Narcissa replied, shoving everything into her bag and jaunting off to the Owlery. As she walked, her thoughts swirled around in her brain like flakes of fake snow that she'd seen in a Muggle snow globe once. Andromeda had bought the snow globe from some godforsaken Muggle store in London when no one was paying attention, and she'd spent weeks simply shaking it or turning it upside down to see the snow fall. Narcissa rolled her eyes at the memory, suppressing a smile, and quickly climbed two staircases, jumping over the eleventh step on the second one.

"Miss Black," said the Bloody Baron in somber tones as he floated past her.

"Hello Baron," she replied, nodding respectfully. As he glided past her, her thoughts turned back to her current predicament. Lucius was essentially all that she had for support now, what with her parents dead, Andromeda dead in name to them, and Bellatrix dead in soul. She hadn't written Andy since last term, but Sirius had informed her several days ago that she was expecting a baby. Narcissa had felt an unpleasant jarring sensation in her chest at his words; they had always planned for their children to grow up together and now it looked as though the future Malfoy heir wouldn't even know that he had a cousin. She longed to write to Andromeda again, but she wasn't sure how her fiancé or father-in-law would feel if she came into the Malfoy family with any sort of ties to her blood traitor sister. Of course, she knew, Lucius largely cared about Narcissa's happiness, but he was now fully involved with the Death Eaters and she wasn't sure if his views on blood supremacy would start to shift even more to the extreme. His frequent letters had alluded to the training that he was undergoing, but he still maintained that his role was more political than anything. His job at the Ministry was going well, he said, and he was convinced that he already had Minister Fudge in his pocket. He spent his time at the frequent galas trying to recruit as many Purebloods as he could, and, as he constantly wrote Narcissa, he couldn't wait until the day that she would circulate these functions on his arm. After their wedding in July, she would be really and truly _his_ , he loved to tell her, and the thought sent little shivers down her spine. Shivers of happiness, she was sure, but also of slight trepidation; after July, she was giving herself _completely_ to Lucius, and Narcissa Black would exist no more.

"Morgana," she called softly as she finally entered the Owlery and slumped against the wall on the bench that was the _least_ covered in owl droppings to write a quick letter to Lucius. The Black family owl, which now primarily resided with Bellatrix, but functioned as Narcissa's owl during the school year, hopped off her perch and flew over to land on her owner's shoulder, hooting in greeting. "Can you take this to Lucius?" she cooed, after hurriedly writing _Dearest Lucius_ , _I miss you more and more each day. I've mostly spent the past few days studying, but Quidditch tryouts are today, and I thought of you. Let's keep our fingers crossed for Regulus! Anyway, darling, Cecilia mentioned something to me earlier about a certain meeting on the day of our Hogsmeade trip. I wondered if you had plans to go to that? Please reply, as I am just dying to see you in October and cannot wait to spend every second with you that I can. Always, Your Cissa_.

"Hoot," replied Morgana as Narcissa tied the parchment to her leg. She nipped at her wrist affectionately and flew out the window to deliver her message.

"There," Narcissa said triumphantly. "That ought to guilt him into skipping the meeting."

* * *

Several hours later, Regulus came bursting into the common room and found his cousin sitting in an armchair by the fire, studying her notes once more.

"Cissy! I made it! I'm the new Seeker," he exclaimed proudly, and Narcissa shrieked in delight, pulling him to her in a tight hug.

"Congratulations, Reggie!" she cried, ruffling his hair. "I'm sure you'll do Slytherin proud." He smiled up at her, his dark eyes dancing.

"Tell Lucius thank you for me. I'm sure his good word helped my chances," replied Regulus, looking happier than he had in a long time.

"I will," Narcissa said, sitting back down to her Transfiguration notes, "but, I'm sure that you got in largely on talent." Regulus shrugged, still smiling, and ran off to find his new teammates.

"Cissy," Cecilia called several minutes later as she trotted into the common room, bag slung over her shoulder. "Regulus made Seeker; did you hear?"

"Yes, he just told me!" replied Narcissa as her friend sunk into an identical velvet green armchair across from her. "I'm thrilled for him."

"Me too! He's such a sweet boy; he really deserves it."

"He's so different from all the other Blacks. Sometimes I wonder where he came from."

"Yes," agreed Cecilia. "Listen, did you find out if Lucius is going?"

"I just sent him the letter, so we'll see what he says. I just can't imagine-"

"Find out if Lucius is going to what?" interrupted Evan as he barged into the common room, still in his Quidditch gear. He'd partaken in some of the tryouts and was sweating.

"None of your business," Narcissa replied coolly, still slightly miffed at him from the Great Hall incident on their first day back.

"Cissy! You wound me," he drawled, sounding more like Lucius than she cared to admit. "Enlighten me, ladies. What are you discussing?"

"The _meeting_ ," whispered Cecilia covertly, glancing around at the now crowded common room. "In Hogsmeade. In October."

"Oh," Evan said, twirling his wand between his fingers. "Yes, Lucius is going to that. He's the new recruitment chair, after all."

"He's the _what_?" asked Narcissa, closing a textbook for the second time that day.

"The new recruitment chair; didn't he tell you, dear cousin? Apparently," here Evan broke off and looked around before continuing in a whisper, "the _Dark Lord_ has been so impressed with his recruitment at the Ministry that he decided to make him the chair. Bella had better watch out; it looks like there's a new favorite in town." Narcissa, who was mostly upset that her fiancé hadn't told her _any_ of this information, felt her stomach flip over in several somersaults. She also felt foreboding at the fact that the man that she was marrying was growing so close to the Dark Lord; the less interaction that she had with him, the better.

"He must have forgotten to tell me," muttered Narcissa, fighting the urge to send another letter to Lucius, this one telling him what a shifty liar he was.

"Trouble in paradise, Cissy? Perhaps jewels aren't _everything_?" Evan jabbed at her, also still peeved about the Great Hall incident. He didn't enjoy looking like a cruddy boyfriend, especially when compared to Lucius "Trust Fund" Malfoy.

"Evan!" admonished Cecilia, giving him a whack on his arm.

"Do us all a favor and be quiet, _cousin_ ," Narcissa hissed before she stormed up to her dormitory to flop across her four-poster bed, the emerald hangings hiding her from the rest of the world. She had an incredibly annoying urge to cry, but she refused to give into it even as worry burrowed deep into her stomach like a wild animal into its den. She sincerely hoped that her marriage to Lucius wasn't going to be built on half-concealed truths and lies; after everything that had happened over the past two years, didn't she at least deserve someone who was honest with her? Before she could ruminate more on this, Morgana appeared at the window and tapped her beak smartly on the glass. Narcissa darted up, opening the window and untying the letter from her owl's leg, before giving Morgana an absentminded pat and sinking back down on her bed to read the note from Lucius.

" _Dear Cissa_ ," she read aloud to the empty room, " _I miss you more than you can ever imagine, darling. It's incredibly well timed that you bring up the meeting in October, as I was just going to send you a letter about it. Cissa, I have been doing so well at recruiting new members that I have been made the recruitment chair: what an honor! Unfortunately, this does mean that I have to attend and run the meeting, but it will only be an hour or two at most. Don't despair, my love, we will have the rest of the day to spend together. You should also feel honored because we will now be deemed the favorites and have such participation in the great campaign. The world is rapidly changing, Cissa, and by the time our children are attending Hogwarts, it will be a much more perfect and Purer world than we could ever have imagined. And, to think I am helping to create this new world! So, don't fret, my love, just rejoice. Sending love always, Your Lucius._ " Narcissa finished reading it, glanced up to see Morgana watching her with her head tilted to the side, and crumpled the paper before tossing it on the floor. She buried her head in her pillow as a waterfall of tears cascaded down her face, and sniffed despairingly as she wondered what Lucius cared about more: his fiancé or a world in which Purebloods ruled and he was the right-hand man to the Dark Lord, wielding dark power like a shield as his wife and future children smiled gracefully behind him. She was starting to think it was the latter.


	23. Chapter 23

On the day of the first visit to Hogsmeade, Narcissa rose early and crept down to the common room after dressing and charming her hair into gentle waves that cascaded down her back. Although it was only early October, the temperature had dropped and the common room had a roaring fire in its hearth. Narcissa curled up in her favorite armchair, one of the matching green velvet ones, and got started on a Charms essay that was due after the weekend. Despite her brief drip in marks last year after her father's murder, she had still remained at the top of her class and expected that she would finish Hogwarts with a good number of NEWTs. Come July she would become Lady Narcissa Malfoy and her only responsibilities in life would be to throw successful garden parties and galas, command a household staff of house elves, and support Lucius unwaveringly in his exploits, but she still felt the need to study and work hard in her classes. Lucius's letters to her had become less frequent since their last exchange over the Death Eaters meeting in Hogsmeade, and they contained less of his feelings toward her and more of his passion for the futuristic Pureblood world that he was helping to create. She couldn't help but worry that he was transforming into another version of Bella, and she prayed that their visit today would show her that he was still her Lucius and set her mind at ease.

"Cissy, why are you up so early?" Regulus asked an hour later. He had his Nimbus 1000 in hand, clearly on his way to some personal flying practice.

"I don't know; why are you?" replied Narcissa, smiling at her cousin. She closed her Charms book as he took a seat next to her in the matching armchair.

"Trying to get some more practice in," he said, indicating the broom at his feet.

"That's right, the first match is approaching, isn't it?"

"It's in less than a month. I think I'll be fine, but we're up against Gryffindor."

"Worried about Sirius?"

"Yes," sighed Regulus, running his hand through his hair in a manner eerily reminiscent of his brother. "You know he won't even look at me now. Apparently Mother sent him a Howler over the summer and she mentioned in it what a perfect son I was and how I'm off to join the Death Eaters as soon as I'm of age."

"Oh, Reggie. Tell me she didn't," Narcissa said softly.

"Of course she did, you know Mother. I don't even know if I want to join yet; I'm only twelve!" He looked petrified at the very thought of it, his dark eyes widening in fear.

"You shouldn't even be thinking of things like that. Just focus on your classes and Quidditch, and leave all of that for after Hogwarts."

"I know, Cissy, but our family is so steeped in it; Mother and Father won't stop talking about how I'm going to do them proud and fix any damage that Sirius and Andromeda have done to the Black name. Bella sends me letters sometimes offering to put in a good word for me with The Dark Lord. And now you're marrying Lucius, who will also probably expect me to join. You're not going to, are you?"

"No," replied Narcissa emphatically. "Bella already asked me to when I was in my fifth year, and I said no."

"Why?" Regulus asked in a whisper. "Because you don't support the cause?"

"Well," she said, hesitating slightly, "it's not that I don't support the Purity cause. I agree that we must try to keep our bloodlines pure, and I don't agree with Andromeda for marrying a Muggle-born. However, I'm not as fanatical as some about it and I would _never_ use violence against anyone simply for being different than me. I think that Auntie Walburga and Bellatrix are obsessive about blood purity, and it's very extreme to blast someone off the family tapestry. But Reggie, we're heading into a war, and we're going to be expected to take sides." Her blue eyes locked with his dark ones, currents of understanding passing between them.

"I know," he replied quietly. "That's what I'm afraid of." Before he could say anything else, students began trickling down into the common room from their dormitories, chatting nonchalantly about trivial things.

"It'll be all right, Reg," Narcissa promised him with more assurance than she felt. "Like I said, just focus on your classes and Quidditch for now. I'll see you later; I'm going to get some breakfast before Hogsmeade."

"Goodbye, Cissy," replied Regulus as his cousin slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and went off toward the Great Hall.

Narcissa and Cecilia had been told that the Death Eaters meeting would only last an hour, so they strategically left the castle at half past eleven.

"They had better be done at twelve o'clock, like Lucius promised," grumbled Narcissa as they strolled along the familiar path into Hogsmeade. It was a clear and sunny day out, despite the slightly cold temperature, and she felt some hope alight within her. Perhaps Lucius would be just as she had left him in August and all would be right again.

"I know," Cecilia agreed, smoothing her dark hair as the wind ruffled it. "Evan promised that we would go to Madame Puddifoot's for tea."

"Really?" Narcissa nearly snorted. "I can't picture Evan-"

"I know," Cecilia cut her off rather sharply. "But, I've been annoyed with him all term, so he needs to make it up to me."

"All right then," said Narcissa mildly, wondering if her cousin and best friend were as compatible as they had seemed at first. _Was anyone?_ she wondered.

"Where is the meeting, anyway?" Cecilia asked after several long minutes of silence as they made their way through the village.

"666 Willow Way," recited Narcissa. She had forced Evan to tell her the address after threatening him with various punishments during their last Prefect shift.

"Here's Willow Way," Cecilia said, pointing to a narrow alleyway. "And it's just twelve now, perfect timing." The two girls strolled down the alleyway, passing numbers 652, then 660, and finally 666.

"Perhaps we should wait a little ways off," suggested Narcissa, tugging her friend by the arm as they chose a spot on the corner overlooking the nondescript building with the numbers 666 in faded black lettering over the door. Seconds ticked by, and then minutes, and finally a whole half hour had passed. The girls exchanged a dark look with each other and sighed, but said nothing and continued to wait until one o'clock.

"What can they possibly discuss for _two hours_?" Cecilia groaned, slumping against the brick wall behind them.

"I don't know, but Lucius is the recruitment chair and is allegedly running this meeting. He _knows_ that I'm waiting to see him," growled Narcissa, her temper starting to flare.

"Maybe we should pop into the Three Broomsticks and have a drink," Cecilia said, watching her friend's eyes narrow angrily. "A little Butterbeer can only lighten the mood."

"Fine," agreed Narcissa grudgingly, her eyes on Number 666 Willow Way for another minute. No one came out.

"Two Butterbeers, please," chirped Cecilia ten minutes later as they entered the warm and cheery pub. Madame Rosmerta smiled at them before plopping two full tankards in front of them on the bar. They offered her payment and then found a remote table in the back. "So, what are you going to do to Lucius when he finally shows up? Hex his luscious locks off?"

"That would be one of the _nicer_ things that I could do to him," replied Narcissa, swallowing a giggle at the thought of his face if she rid him of his beloved hair.

"Boys are the worst," Cecilia said, gulping down her drink. "They only care about themselves. We, on the other hand, are so cognizant of their every need."

"Lucius is just _so_ obsessed with the Purity cause now," replied Narcissa, taking a sip of her Butterbeer. The warm liquid trickled down her throat and into her stomach, making her feel a bit better. "He's going to become a miniature Bella, and Merlin knows the world can't take another one of her."

"Gods no," Cecilia agreed. Before she could say anything else, the front door opened and a large pack of Slytherin seventh years, followed by Lucius, flooded into the pub.

"Ladies!" called Evan upon spotting them. "We've been looking everywhere for you." Lucius tried to catch Narcissa's eye, but she turned her body away from him and engaged Cecilia in a pointless conversation about their Divination homework.

"Cissa," Lucius breathed in her ear seconds later, his tall form standing over her. "I'm sorry the meeting ran late." He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder lightly.

"It's fine," she told him icily, her cerulean eyes boring into his stormy gray ones. He looked the same as he had the last time she'd seen him, his eyes like gently rolling waves and his long hair in a neat ponytail, but she felt as though she were looking at a different person. This was another Lucius, one that only cared about the Purity cause and one that would show up an hour late to meet her after they hadn't seen each other for over a month.

"Do you want to go sit somewhere more private?" he asked quietly as the table quickly filled up with a quarter of Slytherin House.

"Why?" Narcissa said coldly. "Do you have something that needs to be discussed in private? Because I'm perfectly comfortable here with my-"

"Cissa," Lucius cut her off sharply. "Stop it. I understand that you're angry with me, but you don't need to act like a _child_."

" _Excuse me_?" she hissed, still trying to keep her voice low but also not caring very much if the whole bar overheard them. "How dare you speak like that after you _lied_ to me?"

"Narcissa," he retorted, his pale cheeks flushing, "I didn't _lie_ to you; I thought that the meeting would only be an hour, but I didn't realize how much there was to discuss."

"I suppose you also didn't realize how little time you would have to spend with me after the meeting," she snapped before slamming her mug down and storming out of the Three Broomsticks. She walked briskly down High Street away from the pub, away from Lucius, away from the Purity cause that was threatening to overtake her entire world.

"Narcissa! Wait!" she heard Lucius call from behind her as he all but jogged to keep up with her. "Stop it, this isn't like you." He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him; she looked into his eyes expecting to see swirling currents of anger, but she only saw concern. "You must know how much I've missed you over the past month. I've been counting down the days until I could see you again!"

"I don't know, Lucius. All I know is that you're _obsessed_ with the cause; it's all you talk about. You're so passionate about it that you forgot all about seeing me," Narcissa hissed, furious tears springing to her eyes. She cursed herself for not being able to eloquently call him out on his disturbing obsession with the Purity cause.

"That's not true!" Lucius exclaimed, trying to put a hand on her waist to pull her closer to him; she stood her ground, arms crossed across her chest. "Cissa, I could _never_ forget about you. I'm doing all of this _for_ you; the higher I rise in His ranks, the safer we are. That's why I've been killing myself as the recruitment chair and following His every command. If I am his right-hand man then I'll be able to protect you to the best of my ability." The way he looked at her after that, his gray eyes stormier than ever with _something_ \- she wanted to believe that it was longing or love for her- made her stomach flip over. Perhaps he was speaking the truth; perhaps his apparent mania was strategic so that he could advance in the Dark Lord's ranks and protect her forever, like no one had ever been able to do. "Please say something," he implored her, still trying to tug her to him. She finally acquiesced and let Lucius wrap his arms around her tightly.

"Fine," Narcissa said quietly. "But, I want to make sure that I'll always be your top priority just as you are mine." She felt him tip her chin up so that he could look at her full on.

"Darling, you have to know that you're my top priority, and you always will be. Again, I'm doing this all for-"

"But, are you not also doing it because you believe that Purebloods should dominate the wizarding world?" she interrupted him.

"Of course I believe that Purebloods should dominate the wizarding world! As do you, I would _hope_ ," he replied, giving her a stern look.

"You know that I do. But, I don't like the idea of torturing and murdering Muggle-borns," she told him earnestly. "And I certainly don't want you to turn into Bella."

"Let me allay your fears then, dearest," said Lucius, pushing a strand of hair over her ear. She half hated how her body immediately responded to his touch; he was her drug and she was addicted. "I have not tortured or murdered anyone, except for your father, and I have _no_ plans to turn into your sister." Then he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss before she could say anything else, and she nodded slowly as she allowed herself to kiss him back.

"Lucius, I," Narcissa started to say and then the shattering of glass and high-pitched screams sounded behind them. "What the-"

"Stay back, Cissa," growled Lucius, wand at the ready. People came running down High Street toward them, and they saw jets of red flying behind the masses.

"Cissy! Lucius!" Cecilia screamed as she barreled into them. "There's an attack inside the Three Broomsticks!"

"Who started it?" gasped Narcissa, grabbing her friend's arm. Lucius pushed both of them around a corner out of harm's way.

"It's a bunch of Death Eaters and they're going after Muggle-born students," cried Cecilia. "I didn't see anyone's faces, but I heard a cackle as we ran out- I'm pretty sure it was Bellatrix."

"Lucius," began Narcissa intently, catching his wrist. His gray eyes dug into hers, and in that second she felt sure that he'd had no idea about the attack.

"Go back to the castle _now_ ," he said in a low voice, urgently pushing her backwards in the direction of Hogwarts.

"But, you! I want you to be safe!" she protested, as Cecilia was trying to pull her away from Lucius.

"I'll be fine, darling; just know that I love you," he whispered into her ear before pressing a smoldering kiss against her soft lips and then disappearing into the crowd.

"I love you, too," she said to no one, touching a hand to her lips before she was caught up in a sea of panicked students and propelled back to Hogwarts.


	24. Chapter 24

Narcissa felt her nerves jangling every step of the way back to the castle. Cecilia, equally pale and silent beside her, kept checking over her shoulder as if looking for someone specific.

"Did anyone else partake?" whispered Narcissa as they trotted briskly into the Slytherin common room and found private armchairs in a remote corner.

"You mean anyone our year or younger?" Cecilia asked, barely moving her lips.

"Yes- Evan? One of the Avery brothers?"

"No," replied Cecilia. "It was about ten fully masked Death Eaters. Our boys were all at the table with me when they swarmed into the Three Broomsticks. They started throwing curses around and screaming about the Mudblood filth that has infiltrated our world. Madame Rosmerta panicked and she tried to get everyone out to safety, but the Death Eaters seemed to know who was Muggleborn, and they targeted them immediately. I heard Bellatrix laugh as Evan was dragging me out the door. Then we got separated- I don't know where our boys went- and I met you and Lucius."

"Merlin," Narcissa said, biting her lip as her stomach did somersaults at the image of her mentally unhinged sister cackling as she hexed innocent children. "I can't believe that they would dare attack _students_. And so close to Dumbledore as well: I can't imagine his wrath. Well, Lucius certainly didn't know anything about the attack."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Cecilia in an undertone. They both looked around surreptitiously, but everyone was too distracted discussing the scene in Hogsmeade to pay them much attention.

"Of course I'm sure. I saw it in his eyes; he was as shocked as we were."

"Yes, but why did he go to the Three Broomsticks instead of coming with us?"

"Because he's not a student! Cecilia, you don't _honestly_ think that Lucius would partake in torturing a bunch of students in broad daylight at the Three Broomsticks?" Narcissa hissed, flushing redder with each word. Although she had been having doubts about her fiancé, she trusted him enough to know that he was _not_ like her sister and their conversation earlier that day had only solidified that in her mind.

"I don't know, Cissy! I don't know much of anything anymore, but I really don't want Evan to join," Cecilia replied, her lips turning out in a pout and Narcissa realized that she was close to tears.

"I understand," said Narcissa softly, reaching her hand out so that she could pat Cecilia's shoulder comfortingly. "I also wish that Lucius hadn't joined. Now the rest of my life is going to be spent worrying and waiting for him to come home alive. He promised me earlier that he hasn't killed or tortured anyone, though, and I do believe him."

"But Cissy," Cecilia cut in, "you don't want to spend the rest of your life like that!"

"Well, it's too late now," snapped Narcissa, twisting her engagement ring around her finger. "Besides, I love Lucius too much to leave him."

"I don't know; it seems to me that you've spent this entire term angry with him. And from what you've said, he hasn't been very attentive."

"Excuse me, Cecilia. You're one to talk; you spend half your time fighting with Evan! All you do is _complain_ about how he doesn't buy you jewelry and expensive gifts."

"I know," replied Cecilia solemnly. "That's why I'm starting to have doubts about staying with him after we finish school. I've decided that I _don't_ want to be married to a Death Eater."

"Well, good luck finding someone in our circle that _isn't_ a Death Eater. They're _all_ going to join, so it's inevitable. That's why I'm going to stay with Lucius; at least we love each other."

"That's terribly depressing, Cissy. You're going to stand by Lucius for the rest of your life even as the world around us crumbles and you _know_ that he's involved?"

"That," hissed Narcissa, standing up quickly from the armchair, "is exactly what I'm going to do." And before Cecilia could say another word, she swept from the common room and up the concealed staircase to the seventh year girls' dormitory.

* * *

Narcissa wasn't able to see Lucius in person until the Christmas holidays. He wrote her a long, explanatory letter after the Three Broomsticks Attack, as it had come to be known, and told her how sorry he was that they had had such a short time together that day in Hogsmeade. He assured her that he had absolutely no knowledge of the attack and that it was an incredibly _stupid_ idea thought up by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rodolphus's younger brother Rabastan. Narcissa chose to believe Lucius because she really had no other choice, seeing that they were to be married in the summer, and also because it was exactly the sort of thing that Bella would organize. She was probably trying to impress her beloved Master, and possibly hoping to avenge the Black family's fall in status by murdering Andromeda's husband in broad daylight. Bella had told Narcissa over the summer that Ted Tonks was known to frequent the Three Broomsticks, as he was currently working in Hogsmeade, no doubt saving for the baby. Bella also wrote Narcissa a letter after the Three Broomsticks Attack, assuring her that it had been a necessary step in reminding everyone that Purebloods _were_ superior and would soon take the wizarding world back. _We are approaching a time of war, Cissy,_ Bellatrix wrote in her spiky script, _and we need to make sure that we are on the RIGHT side. Malfoy has managed to talk his way to the top of the ranks, but I often question his commitment to the Purity cause. I can only hope that he is as willing and able to shed filthy blood as I am, or else his loyalty will be questioned. And you, dearest sister, also must choose where your loyalties lie_. Narcissa shuddered after reading these words and wondered if Bella knew that she and Andromeda had exchanged letters or met in person last year; she sincerely hoped that she did not.

The Death Eaters had escaped from Hogsmeade before Professor Dumbledore could apprehend them. Students had been injured, but thankfully not gravely. Narcissa had seen Dumbledore's expression as he returned to the castle with the injured students levitating behind him and several of the professors in tow, and it had been frightening. She wondered if the Dark Lord truly knew what he was facing in challenging the wizarding world and going up against Albus Dumbledore: she rather thought not.

As the first term came to a close, Narcissa packed her trunk in preparation for the holidays that would be spent in Malfoy Manor. She had declined to spend it at Lestrange Manor for personal safety and sanitary reasons, but she had agreed to a birthday dinner with her sister and brother-in-law. She was going to be eighteen, but didn't feel very excited about it; her ability to be excited or truly happy had no doubt died with the death of her parents, the loss of Andromeda, and the other nightmarish things that had occurred over the past year. Lucius, in an attempt to show her more attention after the Hogsmeade visit, her written her almost daily letters filled with affections and promises that they would spend the entirety of the Christmas holidays together. He had taken off a week of work at the Ministry and assured her that there would only be one or two Death Eater meetings.

"Cissy?" said Cecilia tentatively as she entered the girls' dormitory. The two girls had been on rather icy terms since the Three Broomsticks Attack.

"Cecilia?" Narcissa replied coolly. She was still angry over Cecilia's implications that she was locking herself in a gilded cage for the rest of her life.

"Are you spending the holidays at Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes," said Narcissa as she waved her wand over a pile of books and watched as they sorted themselves neatly inside her trunk.

"Well, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas. And a Happy Early Birthday," Cecilia said quietly as Narcissa refused to make eye contact.

"Thank you, Cecilia. Happy Christmas to you, too," she answered.

"Cissy," Cecilia tried again, moving closer to her friend. "About the Hogsmeade visit-"

"Stop," interjected Narcissa, finally raising her eyes to Cecilia's face. Cecilia blinked twice as she looked at the icy mask that Narcissa had schooled her features into. Never before had her best friend looked at her like that. "You made your opinions very clear that day."

"But, I didn't mean to criticize your choice to marry Lucius! I know that you do love him, and I'm sure that he wasn't involved in the attack or any of the torturing and murdering that has gone on. I just want you to be _happy,_ since you're my best friend," Cecilia said in a rush.

"Thank you," replied Narcissa in the same cold tone, her eyes as unmoving as still waters. "I am perfectly happy. Have a nice holiday, and I'll see you when we return." She flicked her wand once more at her trunk, which closed with a snap, and exited the dormitory, leaving Cecilia in her wake. Narcissa, as she walked, examined the thoughts that swirled around her brain. She knew that Cecilia was right on many levels, but what could she do? As so many people had told her, war was coming and she was going to be forced to pick a side, and she knew very well which side that would be, even if she didn't fully agree with their methods of achieving domination. She suppressed a shudder, and instead focused her attention on the statue of the gargoyle that guarded the hidden staircase leading to the Headmaster's office.

"Fizzing whizbee," she said confidently and the gargoyle sprang aside, granting her passage to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Hello, Miss Black," he said pleasantly as she strode into the room. He was seated at his desk, shuffling through some important looking papers.

"Good afternoon, Professor," she replied, coming to a halt near the fireplace. "Thank you for letting me use the Floo."

"Of course," Dumbledore smiled at her. "Miss Black, I must apologize for failing to check in with you last year. You have had quite a difficult time with your home life, and I should have confirmed that you were all right."

"Oh," Narcissa said, blushing. "That wasn't really necessary, but thank you. I'm fine." She hoped that he would probe no further, as she didn't feel like discussing the catastrophic things that had thus far happened to her in life.

"Miss Black," he replied after a pause in which his eyes gently appraised her. "I'm sure that you have heard that dark and difficult times are coming." Narcissa swallowed what felt like a lump of ice.

"Yes," she breathed.

"You are one of Hogwarts' brightest students, but I want to caution you. It would be wise to ensure that you are on the _right_ side of things when these dark times come. If you ever feel that you need guidance or assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. Even if you think that all hope is lost, please remember that things are never as bad as they seem and there will _always_ be people here at Hogwarts to help you." His twinkling blue eyes locked with Narcissa's own, and she nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, Professor," she murmured, "I will remember that."

"Excellent," he replied cheerfully, as if she'd accepted his invitation to tea. "Have a good holiday and send Mr. Malfoy my regards."

"Thank you, I will," she said before grabbing a handful of Floo powder and stepping through the flames. "Malfoy Manor!" she declared loudly before disappearing into the fireplace.

"Cissy!" an unpleasantly familiar voice sounded in her ear as she stepped over the hearth into the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. "We thought you'd never join us! Have we got a surprise for you!" Narcissa looked into her older sister's maniacally sparkling eyes as a pale Lucius sent her a pointed look from somewhere behind Bellatrix.

"Oh, Merlin," she breathed in an undertone as a figure glided into the drawing room.

"The elusive Miss Black," said the figure in an impressive voice, sweeping over to her with an extended hand. "I've been waiting to make your acquaintance for quite some time."

"Say hello to the greatest wizard our world has ever seen, Cissy!" Bella exclaimed in a nearly hysterical voice.

"Hello, my Lord," Narcissa whispered.


	25. Chapter 25

Narcissa's head swam as Lucius moved to stand next to her, placing a steadying hand at her waist. Lord Voldemort, who did not look at all as she had pictured him, examined her with reddish eyes, and she felt a familiar probing in her mind. Years spent around her father and Bellatrix had sharpened her Occlumency skills, and she was able to rearrange her thoughts quickly, carefully placing certain memories far away from Lord Voldemort's reach.

"Miss Black," he repeated, halting his Legilimency after he realized that Narcissa had successfully shielded her mind. Instead he reached out a deathly pale hand to stroke one long, bony finger along her jawline. She suppressed a shudder and leaned ever so slightly into Lucius's comforting warmth beside her.

"My Lord, why don't we all sit down?" he asked in a hoarse voice, gesturing to the furniture. "Dobby!" With a loud _crack,_ the house elf that had looked after Narcissa following her father's murder appeared in the drawing room. "Go to the kitchens and get our guests some refreshments." Dobby nodded his head vehemently, large tennis ball eyes glowing luminously in the half darkness of the room, and disappeared with another resounding _crack_.

"Lucius, I fear that I cannot stay," said Lord Voldemort in his strangely quiet yet imposing voice. Narcissa fought off another shiver, and could immediately see how he had the command of so many already. He merely had to whisper and everyone around him was ready to obey. "I merely wanted to stop by to discuss our weekend _plans_." Lucius, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus all nodded emphatically to show that they understood whatever he had told them about the weekend. Narcissa found that she didn't want to know. "And of course it was simply _enchanting_ to meet your beautiful fiancé." Lord Voldemort turned his bloodless lips up into some sort of smile and reached to take Narcissa's hand in his own so that he could brush her fingers against his mouth in farewell.

"Yes, thank you, my Lord," breathed Lucius, his hand tightening around her waist.

"Charmed, Miss Black," Lord Voldemort addressed Narcissa as he released her pale fingers and continued to stare at her.

"Lovely to meet you, my Lord," she replied in a half whisper, cerulean eyes locked with his bloodshot ones.

"My Lord, we will see you this weekend," said Bellatrix, curtseying so low for him that Narcissa privately thought she'd topple to the floor.

"My Lord," Rodolphus added as Lord Voldemort nodded a final farewell to the group and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder, disappearing with a whirl of his black cape.

" _Well_?" demanded Bella half a second later.

"Well what?" Narcissa asked, suddenly feeling as though her knees were going to give out. She leaned even more against Lucius, who immediately knew to escort her over to one of the fainting couches.

"Here, darling," he murmured, half carrying her as her head buzzed and her vision started to blur. "Are you all right? Do you need something?" He sat down next to her, catching her eyes with an earnest gaze as if to convey that it had _not_ been his idea to introduce her to the Dark Lord, and he brushed a stray strand of blonde hair from her forehead. "I'm sorry that he was here; I didn't know that he would want to meet you," he added in an undertone so that Bella couldn't hear his words.

"It's all right. I'd just like some water, please," Narcissa whispered in reply, turning her body to face Lucius. Fortunately Dobby appeared at that very moment with the tray of drinks, and Lucius sent him back to the kitchens for a glass of water.

"Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix as she threw herself into an armchair to Narcissa's right. Rodolphus exited the drawing room, glass of wine in hand.

"Hush, Bella," Lucius said sternly, eyes still glued to Narcissa as he stroked her alabaster skin ever so gently.

"Cissy, what is wrong with you?" Bella cried, ignoring her soon-to-be brother-in-law.

"Bella!" hissed Lucius, pulling his hand from Narcissa's face and fixing Bella with a glare. His eyes sent sparks flying in her direction. Dobby reappeared with another loud _crack_.

"Water for Miss," squeaked the house elf, extending a large glass of water to Narcissa, who accepted it gratefully.

"Better, Cissa?" Lucius asked softly, turning back to her as she daintily sipped.

"Yes, thank you," she replied quietly, finishing the water and placing the glass down on the table in front of them.

"Cissy!" Bellatrix screeched for the third time when she realized that both Narcissa and Lucius were ignoring her. "What did you think of the Dark Lord?"

"Bella, stop bothering her!" snapped Lucius, so loudly that Narcissa jumped. He stood up quickly and strode over to Bella's armchair, gray eyes churning in anger. "I don't know how many times I need to repeat myself. Since you have no regard for your sister's feelings or for my authority, I'm going to have to ask you to leave immediately."

" _Excuse_ me, Malfoy?" hissed Bella in low and dangerous tones. Her dark eyes crackled maliciously at Lucius as he towered over her. "You think that you can just order me about like some _servant_?" 

"Yes, Bella, that is _exactly_ what I think I can do. This is _my_ manor and you are _not_ welcome here. Kindly collect your alcoholic husband from my wine cellar or wherever he's gotten to and _remove_ yourself from the premises before _I_ am forced to do something worse," Lucius replied in a voice so quiet that Narcissa had to see his lips moving to know that the words were coming from his mouth. Shivers ran all over her body at his tone, and she knew once again that he was willing to kill for her.

"You think that you're so _frightening_ , Malfoy," retorted Bella, nonetheless starting to stand up, "but both of you," here her gaze snapped to Narcissa, "are _weak_. Who knows where your loyalties _really_ lie. And Cissy, you especially disappoint me. Fainting after I took revenge on our _dear_ father, and getting ill after meeting the Dark Lord; are you _not_ a Black? Wherever is your _spirit_?" She tried to move toward Narcissa menacingly, but Lucius grabbed her by the arm so hard that she was forced to stop in her tracks. He glowered down at her just as Rodolphus reappeared, a full bottle of elven-made wine now in his hand.

"Bella, get out of here _now_ ," Narcissa jumped in before Lucius could curse her sister. She watched as Lucius tightened his fingers on Bella's arm, and then as Rodolphus quickly assessed the situation.

"Come, Bella," he said, yanking his spitting and snarling wife away from Lucius's iron grasp as she still tried to lunge at Narcissa, and grabbing a handful of Floo powder. "See you on Saturday, mate," he added to Lucius with a tip of his head, as he dragged Bellatrix into the fireplace, the bottle of elven-made wine still clutched in his other hand. They disappeared into the emerald flames, Bella looking back one last time to sneer at them.

"So, darling," said Lucius a half hour later as Narcissa lay half reclined against his body with her head on his chest. He placed gentle kisses on her forehead and stroked her hair back soothingly. "I was thinking that perhaps we shouldn't see your family very often?"

"I think you're absolutely right, Lucius," she replied, pressing a kiss to his neck. "From now on, we will only see the Malfoy side for the holidays." And Lucius nodded approvingly, his gray eyes sparkling as he shifted his fiancé on his lap so that he could kiss her breathless.

* * *

Of course, despite that fact that Lucius had promised Narcissa that he would spend every waking minute of the holidays with her, he was still called away by Lord Voldemort on several different nights. Twice he went to meetings at the Lestrange residence, which he later told Narcissa were _very_ strained as Bella refused to acknowledge his presence, and then he was asked to some sort of gathering.

"It isn't like the Three Broomsticks, is it?" she asked anxiously as he donned his dark Death Eater robes one night in early January. She sat in a forest green armchair in his bedroom, clutching a glass of brandy in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"No, darling," Lucius said, coming over to crouch on the floor next to her. He took her arm and placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist. "That was some inane ambush that Bella threw together with Rodolphus and Rabastan at the last minute; none of the rest of us are interested in attacking Hogwarts students." He rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Really? Not even the Mudblood students?" Narcissa whispered, absentmindedly twining her fingers with his.

"Cissa, I've told you. I don't _enjoy_ torturing or killing people, no matter what their blood type is," he replied, running his thumb over her glittering engagement ring.

"You don't enjoy torturing or killing, or you _haven't_ tortured or killed?"

"Look love, you know that I killed your father-"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Lucius. You told me in October that you hadn't tortured or killed _anyone else_. Has that changed?" Her oceanic eyes locked with his stormy ones and she refused to break contact until he spoke.

"No," he finally said. "It has not changed; as I've told you repeatedly, Cissa, my role is political. I have not yet been asked to-"

" _Yet_?" she cut him off abruptly.

"Narcissa!" he said sharply, standing up and turning away from her so that he faced the door. "I am a member of Lord Voldemort's order and we are heading into _war_. It is very likely that I will be asked to torture and kill for him." He whirled back around to look at her just as she deposited the glass of brandy on a side table and rose from the armchair. She bridged the distance between them and put her hand on his arm.

"Lucius," she whispered.

"Cissa," he said hoarsely, cupping her face in his hands. "Can you promise me that you'll always love me? That you'll stand by me even if I'm asked to do unspeakable things in the name of the Purity cause?" And she knew that in that moment that despite everything Andromeda and Cecilia and Professor Dumbledore had said to her that Lucius needed her as much as she needed him, and so she would always, _always_ stand by his side.

"Yes," she said simply. "Yes."

"Darling, I promise you," Lucius started in a ragged voice, "I promise you that I will _always_ try my best to keep you safe. No matter what I am asked to do, I will _always_ -"

"I know," Narcissa interrupted him softly, "I know you will, my love. Nothing else matters as long as we have each other, right?"

"Right," he replied, his eyes suspiciously wet, and he enfolded her tightly in his arms. She buried her head against his chest, absorbing his scent lest she was never able to again. "I'll be back before you know it. We're only going to Nott's house for the event," he added.

"I'll wait up," she smiled at him as he finally let go of her and gathered up his wand and his mask. She placed a final kiss to his lips and he tangled his fingers in her hair, deepening it.

"I'll be thinking of you the whole evening," he replied with a half smirk before he disapparated and Narcissa sank back into the armchair with her glass of brandy.

"Cissa," she heard hours and hours later. She _had_ gone to bed after the clock had struck two, and now it was three and Lucius was back, climbing into his large four-poster bed to curl himself around her.

"Mm?" she replied sleepily, turning to face him.

"Did you miss me?" he murmured, tugging her flush against him. She wrapped her arms around his bare torso, enjoying the warmth of his skin.

"Ye-es. I thought you said you'd be back sooner," Narcissa replied, poking her tongue out to run lightly along his chest. He tasted like salt and _Lucius_ and her body started to hum despite the late hour.

"I know, I'm sorry. Rookwood and Macnair got drunk and it was a fiasco," he drawled, fingers dancing along the hem of her nightgown. "Are you tired?"

"I _was_ ," she said into his chest, now dropping kisses onto his skin.

"Because I was thinking, you know, if you weren't _too_ sleepy, maybe we could-"

"Be quiet, Lucius," she replied laughingly, reaching her arms up so that he could pull her nightgown over her head. Immediately, Lucius had removed her clothing and had rolled on top of her, trapping her lithe form beneath his toned body.

"I love you," he whispered right into her ear, his hot breath sending shivers shooting up her spine. She arched her body up against his for delicious skin-to-skin contact, and he slid his hands underneath her to press her even closer to him.

"Then show me," she murmured and he did.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, guys- we're nearly there! If you're still following along, thanks for sticking with this. Hopefully you're still enjoying!! :)

After the holidays, Narcissa returned to Hogwarts very aware that her time as a student and as a Black was rapidly drawing to a close. She spent February, March, and April divvying her time between studying for her NEWTs, writing letters to Lucius, and keeping an eye on Regulus. Her youngest cousin seemed to be thriving in his position as the Slytherin Seeker and he had fallen into an appropriate circle of friends; Narcissa knew that his mother would be proud. Secretly she hoped that Regulus would never be forced to become a Death Eater because while he associated with the Avery, Rookwood, and Nott families, he just didn't have the temperament for the Dark Arts.

Narcissa had also caught sparing glimpses of Sirius as the school term progressed; he was constantly with James Potter, Potter's redheaded Muggleborn girlfriend, a small boy that resembled a rodent, and a pale, sickly-looking boy called Remus Lupin, who was allegedly top of their year. Narcissa and Sirius always waved to each other cordially or nodded hello, but she knew that as the war around them progressed, they would take different sides. Halfway through April, Sirius approached her as she pored over her Transfiguration notes in the library.

"Cissy," he said without preamble, sinking into a seat across from her at her now empty table. Evan and Cecilia, whom she was still somewhat giving the cold shoulder to, had gone back to the dungeons nearly an hour before, leaving Narcissa to her books. She was studying even harder than usual because she missed Lucius something fierce and needed a distraction.

"Sirius?" she replied, lifting her tired eyes from her textbook.

"I have a letter for you," he said, extending his hand across the table to hand her a rather crumpled looking piece of parchment.

"Who is it from?" she asked, accepting the letter.

"Who do you think?"

"Andy?" she whispered, her heart clenching. They hadn't exchanged any letters since last year; knowing that Narcissa was to spend the summer at Malfoy Manor had deterred Andromeda from writing to her little sister. Narcissa knew that she should have continued their correspondence once she had returned to school, especially after learning that her sister was expecting a baby, but she'd been so distracted by other things that she hadn't reached out.

"Yes," replied Sirius, examining his nails, "she's had the baby." As he spoke, a photograph fell out of the letter and Narcissa caught a glimpse of a baby girl flashing a broad smile at the camera. As she watched her niece wave a chubby fist at her, she gasped as the baby's hair flashed green and her nose turned into a snout.

"She's a-"

"Metamorphmagus, yes."

"Merlin! But, if she's only a half-blood, then how?"

"Well, my dearest Cissy," drawled Sirius, sounding so similar to Lucius that Narcissa started at him for a second, "it seems that blood purity does _not_ make one a better witch or wizard. Isn't that just _shocking_?"

"Hm," Narcissa hummed noncommittally, watching the baby smile and wave at her once more before perusing the contents of the letter. Andromeda and the baby were both doing well, she wrote to Sirius, and the delivery had been smooth. Her name was Nymphadora ("I'm surprised it isn't _Jane_ or something like that," scoffed Narcissa, but it was a halfhearted jab.) and she was a Metamorphmagus! She changed her hair and facial features at _least_ five times a day, and kept her parents laughing. Ted was now working several jobs to support them, but he wanted to go into healing, so he was considering applying for an apprenticeship. And Andy was embracing her role as full-time mother, but she did get lonely stuck at home with little Dora all day. Perhaps Sirius could come visit?

"So?" said Sirius after ten minutes of silence as Narcissa read and reread the letter.

"Well, she seems as if she's doing well, even if she's a bit lonely," she replied evenly, placing the letter and the photo on the table.

"I agree."

"Are you going to visit her?"

"Yes, most likely this summer. Why, do you want to come?"

"Do you think that would be _wise_?" said Narcissa, her eyes narrowing.

"Afraid of what your darling betrothed would say?" Sirius's own dark eyes glinted.

"It's not so much him," she replied, but internally she wondered. She and Lucius hadn't spoken of Andromeda in a long time, and she couldn't help but feel that the longer he was a Death Eater, the larger his contempt for blood traitors grew.

"Dear Bella, then?"

"Yes," said Narcissa, remembering her most recent encounter with Bella and the way she had looked in the presence of the Dark Lord. Bella and Rodolphus had been scheduled to come to Malfoy Manor for Narcissa's eighteenth birthday in January, but after their screaming match in December, she hadn't seen hide nor hair from her sister.

"She is a bit, how shall I say this? Mentally unhinged?"

"And you haven't even seen her recently," Narcissa shuddered.

"But, how would she know if you went to visit Andy?"

"Trust me, cousin, she would know. I wouldn't be surprised if she's having me followed _just_ to make sure that I'm loyal."

"Loyal to what, may I ask?" Sirius cocked his head to the side as he gazed at his cousin.

"You _know_ ," replied Narcissa in a frustrated whisper. "Don't pretend."

"So, you are also a member of the _delightful_ group that is trying to usurp wizarding society? Cissy, Cissy, Cissy, I thought you were better than that."

"I am _not_ a member," she retorted sharply. "But, as you well know, our _family's_ loyalties lie with-"

"I know," Sirius cut her off abruptly. "And poor, dear Regulus is going to be forced into that _cult_ by our most caring mother." He rolled his eyes heavily, but Narcissa sensed some concern for his younger brother.

"Sirius," she said, leaning forward across the table. "You know that I love Reg like my own brother; I'll do everything that I can to protect him."

"It won't be enough. Regulus has always been a follower, eager to please. You're the same, and the two of you are going to bury yourselves into a hole that you can't get out of." With that, he stood up from the table.

"I am _not_ a follower," hissed Narcissa, her temper flaring. She'd had enough of people warning her about things; Sirius was three years her junior!

"You're following Malfoy down that primrose path, aren't you?"

"I _love_ Lucius, I'm not _following_ him. Don't speak about things that you don't understand, _cousin_."

"Suit yourself, Cissy. I have to go finish a Charms essay that was due two days ago, but I'll see you around."

"Fine," replied Narcissa icily, trying to hand him the letter and photograph.

"Keep it. Maybe it'll remind you of the other options that you have in life," Sirius waved his hand at her before turning on his heel and leaving the library.

"Thank you for _nothing_!" she called after him, earning herself a reproachful glare from Madame Pince. "I hate everyone," she spat under her breath as she glared back.

* * *

The remainder of Narcissa's seventh year flew by, and before she knew it she had finished all of her NEWTs and was packing her trunk. The wedding was a month away, but she wasn't very excited for it. Both of her parents were dead, her sister and cousin were estranged from the family, her other sister still wasn't speaking to her, and Lucius's mother was dead and therefore could not assist with the wedding preparations. Narcissa had done her best to correspond with several wedding planners over the past few months, but she had been busy studying and Lucius had been no help. Both the Ministry and the Dark Lord were overworking him, and although he tried his best to write her frequent, comforting letters, he was obviously distracted. The last letter that she had sent him had been very downhearted and skeptical that they could even pull off a July wedding as there was still so much to be done. She'd sent Morgana off with the letter nearly a week ago, but she still hadn't heard back.

"Cissy," said Cecilia softly from somewhere behind Narcissa.

"Cecilia?" she replied coolly, dumping the last of her books into the trunk and closing it with a wave of her wand.

"Cissy, please. It's been _months_ , can't you forgive me?" Cecilia nearly begged, hovering in the doorway of their dormitory.

"I did forgive you, Cecilia, you're just being overly sensitive," replied Narcissa, her icy mask in place.

"But, you've barely spoken to me since December!"

"I just haven't had very much to say."

"Cissy, please-"

"Do you have anything of importance to say to me?" Narcissa cut her off coldly.

"I suppose not," whispered Cecilia, clearly giving up. "I just can't believe that you would throw away our friendship over something so _trivial_. The Narcissa that I used to know wouldn't have done that." A single tear dripped down her cheek.

"Well, the Narcissa that you used to know no longer exists," snapped Narcissa. "She has been forced to grow up. And you would do well to follow by example." With that, she strode over to the window, turning her back on her former best friend. She heard Cecilia clear her throat and then exit the room. "Narcissa Black is almost no more," she added in an undertone to the empty dormitory, whirling around to face the door; Cecilia was indeed gone. Narcissa's heart clenched painfully, but she knew that she was right in her decision; she had chosen Lucius Malfoy and would soon become Lady Malfoy. She had no room for people in her life that vocally disapproved of her decisions.

"You're right, dearest. Soon she shall fade to black and Narcissa Malfoy will reign," Lucius's voice drawled from her windowsill and she whipped back around.

"Lucius! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, mouth falling open as he climbed through her open window with the stealth of a panther.

"I've come to collect my beautiful bride," he replied, tugging his broomstick through the window behind him. "No apparition into Hogwarts, as you well know," he added.

"Come to collect me for what?" she asked in confusion, nevertheless moving to embrace him tightly. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pressing a series of kisses to her upturned face and she breathed in his heavenly scent.

"Your last letter made it sound as though you were less than excited about our wedding."

"I just haven't had time to plan, and now it's a month away and-"

"Quite. So, I've made the decision that we're going to do things a little differently."

"How so?"

"We're going to elope."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right everyone, this is it! Sorry for the slight delay in posting the final chapter- I wasn't quite sure how to end it. Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for reading part or all of this story; I have always been intrigued by the Malfoys and wanted to give Narcissa her own interesting backstory. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, kudos and comments always welcome :)))

Narcissa clung to Lucius as they flew through the warm June night air, her arms wrapped around his waist and her trunk, which had been transfigured into a miniature version of itself, hanging off the back of his broom. She had never been one for flying and was already feeling ill by the time they were halfway to their mysterious destination.

"But Lucius," she yelled into his ear over the loud whooshing of air, "where are we going, darling?"

"You'll see," he replied, pressing his back reassuringly against her body. She imagined that he was smirking, and gave his hair a little tug in response to his secrecy.

"I don't feel very well," she said after what felt like another hour had passed.

"We're almost there, love," he promised, and she had no choice but to believe him. Soon enough, she realized that he was finally tilting the broom downwards and that they were careening toward the ground. "Hold on!" She clung to his body as if her life depended on it; technically, she thought, it did.

"Where-" Narcissa began to ask as they landed neatly on the grass, but stopped as soon as she caught a proper glimpse of their surroundings and got her bearings. "Oh!" she cried.

"I thought we had the happiest memories here," said Lucius, smiling as he watched recognition dawn on her.

"Your family's French chateau!" she exclaimed, clutching his arm tightly. "What a perfect place to get married." And it was, she thought, truly the spot where they had the happiest memories; that first summer spent together in France had been magical.

"Let's get some rest tonight and tie the knot in the morning." With that, Lucius strode efficiently toward the chateau, tugging Narcissa along behind him. She half wondered if she was crazy for doing this and imagined the letters that would most likely arrive from Aunt Walburga demanding to know why she wasn't having a proper wedding. Oh well, she thought, at least she was a Black and he was a Malfoy and no one could say anything about blood impurity.

Later as Narcissa lay in bed, her head on Lucius's shoulder and her hand resting on his chest, her mind continued to race. She hoped that they would have a happy life together, but between the political climate and Lucius's new role as one of the Dark Lord's top henchmen, she just wasn't sure what was in store for them. Her mother would be proud, she knew, that she had followed all of her Pureblood Tenets and was marrying so well. She was also marrying for love, something that Druella Rosier Black had not been able to do. Narcissa's father had not been as ecstatic about the match, but she knew that that largely had to do with the Rosier gambling fiasco and Cygnus Black's obsession with the older Pureblood wizarding families; he had considered the Malfoys to be new money. Regarding Bellatrix; well, Narcissa was worried about her eldest sister's sanity and fanatic obsession with Lord Voldemort, but she also wondered if her sister's resentment of Lucius was mostly due to jealousy. Lucius was rising faster in the Dark Lord's ranks and he had the smooth persuasion that Bella did not; if this was not the case, Narcissa was sure that her sister would be happier for her. And then there was Andromeda; she knew that her middle sister valued love above all else, so she had to believe that Andy would approve of the match as she had understood Narcissa's feelings for Lucius.

"Cissa?" Lucius whispered through the moonlit darkness and Narcissa felt his lips press against her temple.

"Hm?" replied Narcissa, lifting her head to kiss his cheek softly as she emerged from her midnight reverie.

"Why are you still awake, darling?"

"I'm just thinking," she murmured.

"About what?"

"Just...everything. About us getting married tomorrow, mostly."

"Not getting cold feet, I hope?" he asked quietly, wrapping his arm around her. She rested her chin on her palm and inclined her head up again to find his eyes; in the light of the full moon, his steel gray eyes locked with her oceanic ones.

"Never," she replied seriously. "I was just thinking about how happy I am that we're going to do it, but part of me wishes..."

"Yes?"

"Part of me wishes that my family wasn't _so_ divided now. Everyone is either dead, disowned, or not speaking to me," she admitted. His eyes narrowed with some emotion.

"I'm sorry, Cissa," he said, stroking her golden hair back.

"It's all right," she smiled up at him. "I have you, don't I?"

"Forever," he replied solemnly and then she was fully engulfed in his arms.

"Make me yours," she said and he did.

The next day dawned beautiful and bright, every bit the perfect wedding day that Narcissa had imagined for herself since childhood. She dressed in the master bedroom that she and Lucius had shared last night, putting on the white eyelet sundress that she had worn two summers ago for Lucius's birthday. She charmed her long, blonde tresses into an intricate design of braids, curls, and flowers; half of her locks tumbled down her back, nearly to her waist at this point. She smiled serenely at herself in the full-length mirror that stood by the open window and surveyed her appearance with satisfaction. Tearing her cerulean eyes away from her reflection for a split second, she glanced outside at the rolling grounds of the Malfoy chateau, at the wildflowers that dotted the grass, and at the gently rolling waves of the sea beyond the chateau.

"Nearly perfect," she said to the view outside.

"I would say perfect," said a voice from behind Narcissa, and she whirled around.

"You're not supposed to see me _before_ the ceremony!" she hissed in mock outrage as Lucius approached her with his signature smirk popping, looking very handsome in his dress robes. "And do you mean me or the view?"

"What do _you_ think I mean," he drawled lazily, wrapping a hand around her waist. "Relax, darling, I've already seen you in this dress. Come to think of it, I've actually _removed_ this dress several times-" he broke off as she swatted him playfully.

"Oh, you," she said, rolling her eyes. "Go back downstairs to wait for me like a proper gentleman! I'll be ready in just a few minutes."

"You look ready to me now," he protested, but he kissed her goodbye and left the room obediently. Narcissa watched him go with a faint smile on her face, remembering his seventeenth birthday and the effect that the white sundress had had on him.

"Now, I'm perfect," she said to her reflection after several more glamour spells and a final circular turn to survey herself from all angles. She strolled out of the master bedroom and down the grand staircase, her fingers gripping the banister tightly. "This is it," she added to herself in an undertone as she saw Lucius waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ready at last, Cissa?" he asked, offering her his arm with a genuine smile as his eyes roved over her entire body.

"Yes," she said, matching his smile, "I am ready."

"Just one more thing," said Lucius as he led her out the double French doors into the backyard of the chateau where a makeshift altar was waiting for them, the officiating wizard standing at the ready with ceremonial book in hand.

"Oh?" Narcissa asked in slight confusion as Lucius suddenly veered her away from the altar and off toward the side yard. "What is it?"

"Well," he replied conversationally, stopping in his tracks and spinning her around to face him, "I wanted to make sure that today was absolutely _perfect_ , but I couldn't help but feel that there were two people that were missing. So, I sent a few owls last night and-"

"CISSY!" sounded two of the most beautifully familiar voices that Narcissa had ever heard. She whipped her head around just as Bellatrix and Andromeda appeared, sundresses blowing in the faint wind behind them as they half-ran to their younger sister.

"Bella? Andy?" she cried incredulously as they both engulfed her in a tangle of arms.

"Lucius said that we absolutely _needed_ to be here," said Andromeda breathlessly.

"So we agreed to put aside our _differences_ ," Bellatrix sent a scathing look at Andy, and Narcissa thanked Merlin that at least she wasn't trying to curse her sister, "for your sake. After all, our baby sister getting married is quite the occasion."

"We wanted you to know that we both love you and that you'll never _truly_ be alone," added Andromeda, glaring right back at Bella before smiling at Narcissa.

"Even if we've all chosen separate paths," Bella said, sending Andy one last _look_. Andromeda nodded her agreement. And as the three Black sisters walked arm-in-arm to the altar to greet the officiating wizard that Lucius had requested via owl, all Narcissa could do was smile from ear to ear.

Hours and hours later, after the ceremony and the vows, after Bellatrix and Andromeda had left with more promises that Narcissa would never be without her sisters: all she had to do was ask for them and they would appear, and after the Malfoy house elves had brought in a miniature wedding feast complete with a three-tier cake, Lucius and Narcissa sat side-by-side on the cliffs overlooking the sea.

"Cissa?" he whispered, taking another swig from the bottle of champagne that they had brought with them before passing it to her.

"Yes, Lucius?" she replied, following his gulp with one of her own. Her whole body felt light and giddy with the combination of happiness and alcohol.

"How does it feel?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders and drawing her even closer to him.

"How does what feel?" she said, resting her golden head against him.

"How does it feel to be a Malfoy?"

"It feels like," she began, stopping for only a second as she inhaled the scent of the sea and the sprigs of lavender and _Lucius,_ and placed it carefully away in her memory for another time and place, "it feels like coming home." Lucius didn't offer an immediate verbal reply, but he did take her face in his hands and kiss her until her head spun. She knew that she was his and he was hers forevermore, regardless of the wars that would rage around them, the obstacles that they would face, and the darkness that still lived inside her even as it ebbed further and further away as Narcissa Black took her last bow and resurfaced as Narcissa Malfoy.

"You are home, love," Lucius whispered huskily, tracing a finger down her jawline. "I'll always be your home."

"I know," Narcissa said and she did.

\- THE END -


End file.
